Legend Of Zelda: Ascendant Legacy
by Maverick Hunter Matt
Summary: My own Fanfiction of Legend of Zelda. Fits in with Ocarina of Time storyline, but I try to blend as much as I can. A little more mature, a little more romantic. Ch 15 is up. Please Read and review!
1. Prologue

Legend Of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 0: Remnant of the Past

(This is the Prologue)

Long ago, three divine goddesses descended upon the twisting primal energies that existed before any record of time. Din, the goddess of power, with her powerful, flaming arms, cultivated the empty space, and created the red earth. Nayru the goddess of wisdom, bestowed her divine knowledge upon the land, and created the world's laws to give a sense of justice and order to the world, and to guide the people in the goddesses' absence. Farore, the goddess of courage, endowed the land with her powers, creating life to follow this justice. The three divine goddesses, completing their work, ascended into the heavens. The point where the three departed became a swelling of light and energy, and in that mystic power, the Triforce, a relic of immense strength, wisdom and courage came into being. The land, later called "Hyrule" would experience only prosperity and peace for an untold amount of time.

Until...

A dark and powerful man, named Gannondorf, king of the Guredo thieves and incredibly wise sorcerer appeared from the west. The man, having heard of the mystic, limitless power of the Triforce, began his evil crusade to obtain the golden power and become the new dark god of the land for all times. Through deception, raw force, and dark magicks, Gannondorf began to move closer to obtaining his wish. But, just as his ambitions grew, so did a resistance. Princess Zelda, the heir to the throne of Hyrule, only a child at the time, sensed the Dark would-be-king's lust for power and called for aid. And it came in the form of a boy...

Link, a child raised in the forests of fairy-folk, was the one to answer hope's call. With the aid of Zelda's wisdom, hidden strength, and untold courage, Link arose to counter Ganndorf's actions. The only hope for the princess and the young hero was to reach the Triforce before the Thief King. And so they did. Link, only a boy at the time braved peril and danger to claim the key to the sacred realm that held the Triforce, "The Master Sword". The Master Sword was an ancient blade, with no master in any legend, and untold power against evil; it alone was the key to the Triforce, and would only answer the call of a hero who proved himself... and that hero was Link.

But even though Link fought bravely and did indeed claim the Master Sword for his own, Ganndorf slipped past him and reached the Triforce first... and all his evil hopes were realized. Upon touching it, Gannondorf, later naming himself King Gannon, ruler of all dark and evil forces, became what he desired, the most powerful sorcerer, thief, and monster the land of Hyrule had ever seen. His power increased to nigh omnipotence, and with that power he molded the world into all that he wanted: a dark, twisted vision of what was once the beautiful land of Hyrule. But, the Triforce, containing too much power for one person who was not the balance of all three aspects, seperated into three pieces and joined with the avatar of its essence. Ganndorf, desiring power over all, and paying no heed to wisdom and having no want of courage, did obtain the Triforce of Power, but not the entire relic, while the other two pieces eluded his grasp.

But not all was lost. While most people of the land were forced into hiding, cowering behind the thick walls of what little civilization was left, Zelda, managed to escape into hiding, disguising herself as the last of the Sheikah, an ancient people, who served as the guardians of the royal bloodline. And Link... slept for nearly seven years, guarded by the light of the holy realm and the sages, the guardians of peace and the Triforce. Upon his awakening, Link found that the world he knew was gone, and Zelda, his only companion in his journey was gone without a trace.

Taking the Master Sword in hand, Link began a new quest, to journey to one of six sacred temples and awaken the power of the corresponding sage to gain their strength in hopes of sealing Gannon away and restoring peace and light to the world. Link did travel to all of the shrines, each one embodying the essence of creation, Light, Earth, Fire, Water, Shadow, and Spirit. But, his quest was not without hardship. At each turn, he faced new dangers, of both evil and of men, and six lieutenant of Gannon, bound to each temple to veil its power and block the sage from helping the young hero. All fell at the hands of Link and the evil's bane, the master Sword. When all the temples had been purified and all the sages awakened, the time had come to face Gannon himself.

Zelda, who had been aiding Link however she could in secret, revealed herself to Link as the seventh sage, and the avatar of Wisdom; she alone held the key to sealing Gannon away forever, and a piece of the broken Triforce. But Gannon, again struck before the heroes were aware, stealing Zelda away to his castle and surmounting an army to destroy what little forces opposed him. Link, angered by Gannon's evil actions, raced to Zelda's rescue. The hero arrived at the Black Castle and charged headlong into battle. Fighting his way past all of Gannon's vile army, Link scaled the corrupt keep only to meet Gannondorf, waiting on his dark throne.

The final battle that ensued was momentous. The Master Sword, guided by Links steady and courageous hand struck out against Gannon's evil magic, his nefarious tricks, and his raw power. Gannon and Link fought an epic struggle, and eventually Link struck a mortal blow that broke the evil king's power. Without the dark energies of its master to hold it together, the dark citadel of evil began to fall away, threatening to bury Link and Princess Zelda forever. Valiantly, Link fought down the tower and safely rescued both Zelda and himself. All seemed like it had come to an end. Until...

Gannon, calling upon all the Triforce of Power's might transformed himself into a vicious, malevolent entity the like of which have never been seen. Even with the Master Sword's power, nothing seemed to slow the rampaging Gannon. But Link, with all the courage of a true hero, stepped forth and refused to back down against the onslaught, and caused a miracle to occur. Link, proving his worth, had awakened the Triforce of Courage, which had bonded to him when the original power of the golden relic shattered.

The Demon Lord, Gannon summoned all his power, and Link did the same. Steel clashed with steel and demonic magic as the dark lord fought the young hero. The battle was terrible and fierce. Blow after blow, the two titans fought with every ounce of might they had. But Link, knowing that his world, his life, and all the hopes of everyone rested with him, proved too much and struck a monumental blow with the Master Sword. With Zelda's wisdom, the sage's mystical power, and his own courage, Link was able to finish the evil Gannondorf and seal him away in a realm of nothingness, in hopes that his evil power would never again surface.

Link, heralded by the sages as "the Hero of Time" had fulfilled his destiny against all odds. Together with the power of the sages, the two Triforces, and the Ocarina of Time, a magical artifact with command of time, Gannon's evil was undone, and all was set right. But, Zelda, while eternally grateful to Link for saving her and vanquishing Gannondorf, believed that the cost was too great for Link, and that he should be allowed to live out his life on his own accord. With her own magic and the power of the Ocarina, Zelda turned back time so that Gannon's actions never occurred.

While Gannon and his evil taint was removed from the world of Hyrule unbeknown to most of the world's inhabitants, those who knew what happened were grateful to Link and all he had done, especially the young Zelda. With all of Hyrule saved, Link returned the Master Sword to its resting place, left his once peaceful home in the fairy forest, and set out on his own.

Whatever became of the Hero of Time is uncertain... What is known, is that Link, cautioning against the rise of any new force of evil that might threaten Hyrule or those he cared for, set out to explore the world and himself.

Tales of the boy's journey began to circulate and arise, always mysterious, but somehow known. There was a story how he fell into a strange "mirror" world, similar to Hyrule, who's very existence was threatened by an evil Mask that fell into naive hands, and how the boy saved the world with mystic masks of power and his sheer will and resolve. There were other stories how he set out upon the great, Endless Sea on a journey to learn of the world. There was a rumor that he discovered an island that was the a merely a dream of a powerful entity known as the "Wind Fish", and how he escaped by awakening the great being, and gaining an untold prospective of new experience and power. There was even a story about how the Triforce itself sent him to bring order and balance to the separate, yet connected worlds or Seasons and Ages...

But all this was all speculation... Not one solid piece of information could be attained... and everyone who knew the young Link, the paladin of justice, and Hero of Time, wondered what ever became of him. Zelda, most of all, anxiously awaited his return, looking from her window to the horizon of each new day, in hopes of seeing her young hero, dressed in green and silver...

she waited for eight years... and no sign was ever given...


	2. Chapter 1 Heavy Lies the Crown

Legend Of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 1

Heavy Lies the Crown

For nearly eight years, the land of Hyrule had been peaceful and prosperous. The Hylia and Humans that populated most of the land lived very harmoniously. The Zora, now under the guidance of the young Princess Ruto and her father King Zora, were establishing new water transport systems, making trading between almost all races and tribes of the land easier and faster. The mighty mountain lords, the Gorons, under the leadership of king Darunia had dug deep into their mountain home and erected an incredible citadel that led directly to the castle of Hyrule. Even the Gerudo, a race of female thieves and bandits from the west, entered into a agreement with the Royal Family of Hyrule to allow very small trading enterprises, and swore allegiance to the princess Zelda, thanks to negotiating from the leader of the desert warriors, Nabooru, the matriarch and most skilled of the bandits. Most surprisingly of all, a small band of Kokiri, a race of small, secretive, childlike, and woodland beings, had come out of hiding from the forests of Hyrule to seek out the Royal Family outside world, led by the brave Saria, much to the surprise of everyone in Hyrule.

All the changes and action in this world seemed to center around one point, Hyrule Castle... and for good reason. Princess Zelda had won the hearts of all her subjects every day since her birth, she had gained the respect of her guardians and the nobles, and it was known to all in the land that her beauty was unrivaled in all of Hyrule... perhaps even the world. For this reason, and because she was nearing her eighteenth birthday, and at the unanimous cry from the people, common, noble, and of all races, she was to ascend the throne and become Queen of Hyrule.

Princess Zelda stood on the top of the ramparts, the white, polished stone gleaming in the new dawn's sunlight. The princess looked out upon the horizon, the sun's light illuminationg the green hills, the blue rivers, the red mountains, and the castle's town. The world seemed to lull in this new sense, awakened, but still rousing from the night's touch. Her lengthy light brown hair caught all the hues of the sunrise and reflected it, and her beautiful blue eyes did the same, similar to how two blue crystals would. Her gown, beautiful and finely crafted swayed in the new winds, and all the world seemed to pay homage to the young lady's beauty.

"Princess," came a voice strong, yet feminine, "here again?"

"Good morning, Impa." The Princess replied in her melodic and intoxicating voice. "Yes, I thought I might see the sunrise." She stated without turning around. Impa stood behind her, standing on the turret, swift and silently as all Sheikah could, but none so as Impa.

"You mean you thought you might see 'him' if awoke." Impa said with a sort of caution in her words. "Princess, there is no word of him. There hasn't been for nearly a decade. Your scouts are always on watch, and there is no word of him-"

"Not even from the Kokiri?" Zelda asked in a slow tone, but desperate all the same.

"No, your highness. I assure you, if he were to show himself, then you would know before anyone else."

"I'm just so scared Impa..." Zelda looked down, a wave of sadness emanated from her. "I'm a sage... I even posses the Triforce of Wisdom, but for all this, I know nothing of him, nor of his fate. No magic or spell I use can show me anything of him, no seer can sense him or his footsteps, and all I have are rumors and whispers." Zelda paused. "What if he's forgotten about me and Hyrule? What if he isn't coming back... what if-"

"Princess, I do not think any harm has come to him." Impa stated quickly so that Zelda would not finish her distressing thought. "I've known may fool hardy adventurers and would be heroes. He is none of those. Never have I seen anyone with skill of sword and strength of will. No, I do not think the spirits have called him to the heavens. And of one thing I am sure." Zelda turned and looked at her guaridan. Tall and fierce looking, but gentle all the same.

"He would not have forgotten you. I saw the way he looked at you. I saw his eyes. You saw how he fought for you, how you gave him strength. I saw something in him that called out to you. No spell or power in all the worlds and no villain in all the depth could ever hope to break that. He will show himself when he is ready... frankly I find his determination to be something that impresses even me."

"Sometime I wish I had never turned back time. Was I right in doing so?" Zelda wondered, even though it was more to herself then to Impa.

"Your highness, all anyone can do is what they believe is right... and that is what you did. He knows that, and I don't believe he doubts your judgment, none of us do."

"I just wish I knew where he was and what he was doing... I would feel better if he were here, now."

"I know Princess. But now, you must attend to your duties." Impa stated in a business like manner.

Zelda nodded, putting a smile on her face and accepted that her duties must be fulfilled. The young woman looked back to the sunrise, now golden and beautiful, and thought to her self "Link... where are you?" Slowly descending the stairs of the tower, Zelda began to move gracefully towards her destiny, alone though she was. But the fate of Hyrule was not hers alone to bear...

That day, Zelda addressed the royal court, negotiating a treaty with the Zoras and Gerudo, and addressing the matter of her coronation. Eloquently, all matters were put to rest, as they always were, and she received praise and admiration from all the nobles and regional leaders. Her walk to the castle was littered with flowers and kind words from her subjects who numbered in the thousands just to see their glorious princess. Zelda felt love and pride in her role, she felt better knowing that she upheld the trust of all of Hyrule who believed in her, but a piece of her still felt alone. No one could identify with her... not the way that he could.

While in the view of the world's eye, Zelda smiled and waved, and all was well. However, when Zelda was unseen for a moment, she touched the back of her left hand with two fingers, causing a golden symbol of three interconnected triangles to surface. All across the land, a feeling went out, and six people felt the summons in their hearts. A beautiful young girl dressed in green rested among the treetops to look to the skies, a mighty mountain king paused with his hammer in hand to feel the earth, a graceful water princess stopped her frolicking to feel the currents, a shadowed warrior looked to her liege and nodded as they walked toward the castle, a warrior thief stopped along the sands of her home to feel her spirit beckon, and an old man in a hidden temple looked to the light. Each one had heard it, and each one would answer the summons.

And another felt the summons too... but he was not a sage... and he looked upon in shadowed vision and smiled with jagged teeth and darkened eyes.


	3. Chapter 2 Apex Shadow

Legend of Zelda

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 2

Apex Shadow

(come on... I had to make it interesting)

In a dark, damp, and sickening place in the bowels of the earth, a place no human would ever venture, there stirred two masses, both pure malice. The first "thing" moved the way a reptile does, slithering with a tremendous movement, but also raising up on strong, muscled, scaled legs. The second, instead of moving in the same grotesque way, who was considerably smaller, levitated and hovered in the depths of the darkness.

"Why do we have to wait here, Zariux?" The first one said, his voice deep, gravely, and putrid sounding. His voice carried with it a certain annoyance, and as he finished the question from his disgusting maw of sharp, jagged teeth, the very cave around them shook with his malicious nature.

"Because, Sarkoth, the master has commanded it. Patience..." The second voice replied calmly. Unlike his counterpart, his tone was relatively normal compared to human standards. While slightly feminine, it was easily distinguished as something different. As it spoke the word "patience", its tone drastically changed, like that of a serpents, but many and all of them speaking at once.

"Don't lecture me on patience! For an eon I have waited, cast to the darkness, feeding off of lesser filth and all the putrid remains of the dead. I fought for my existence in that 'prison', and now that I am here, this green world, so lush and vulnerable. Who protects it? Pitiful little creatures with sticks and rocks? We should be ruling this realm, feasting on the flesh of the weak-"

"I KNOW!" The very roof of the cave threatened to collapse with the force of rage that Zariux cast towards the dark, slithering being that was Sarkoth. The reptilian being, as massive as he was cowered for a moment, the way an animal does when they are threatened by another of its species... the leader of its kind. But, the outburst did not last, and the smaller, floating thing regained its composure. "I know... Sarkoth, but the master has ordered it so, and he is no creature with a stick. Remember who freed us, that took a considerable amount of power... do you really think you can oppose that kind of raw strength."

There was a long pause between the two, water that was corrupted and filthy dripped and fell onto the slime covered floor.

"I know... I hate waiting too. I see this world, and I see gluttony and spoils. These people have no idea what true ruin is. They are weak and worthless. In our world, all this would be dust and ash. But now, we have a chance to forget that. In time, we will put this world to the flame and we will gorge ourselves on the blood and souls of the poor little lost sheep. And no one can stop us..."

"Oh really?" Came a voice, strong and confident. "And why is that?"

"Master." The two beings in the cave said and bowed low.

"This world has its defenders... and if you are ignorant enough to think that the little villages and fairies are the only ones this realm has to stop you, you are sorely mistaken."

"But master, the forest folk will burn and fall, no mater how old they are or the magic they harbor, the Gorons hide in their citadel, which will be their down fall despite their strength, the Zoras will not pose any threat with my abilities. And the Gerudo care nothing for those outside of their own... and-"

"It will not matter, my lord, I will crush the Gorons to dust, I will break the fish men's bodies upon the shore, and if the Gerudo oppose us, I will melt them to glass with their precious desert. But the humans and Hylans... they will die all the same."

"You are both fools. Do you think if it were just these pitiful mortals I would not have already taken this world and pillaged it. The problem is that the Triforce isn't there anymore! So, as you can see, there is no reason to move yet. The golden power is gone to its guardians, or have you forgotten that? Not to mention the sages, clinging to their elemental power." The voice, sure sounding and calculated, cut both Sarkoth and Zariux off.

"But isn't your power more than enough for the sages?" Zariux asked desperately.

"You're just as stupid as your compatriot..." the voice, cloaked in shadow, replied. "The sages are nothing apart, but together they command the very essence of existence. And it is not the sages that pose the problem, but the princess is the real threat."

"Her powers are nothing compared to ours. The Triforce of Wisdom can only delay our plans. Without the sages to back her power she can only slow us down." Zariux said.

"Good, Zariux... you've gaged Zelda and her sage's power. But, as I said, you are an idiot, and you forgot the weapon she possess. The arrow."

"But..." Zariux said brashly.

"No buts! There is nothing we can do about that... if you or Sarkoth were stupid enough to assault her directly, then you would be undone by the light of her attack. And now that I have explained these little complications, there is the matter of the hero..."

"He's dead." Sarkoth said, gruffly. "My bet is his bones are rotting at the bottom of the sea." He laughed shortly. But before his enjoyment was fulfilled, he began to choke and cough putrid black blood.

"Your arrogance and stupidity are beginning to annoy me. He's not dead. I can feel it. Nothing as trivial as a journey on the sea or a falling moon can kill him. No, he is not gone. And you should never assume so. Should we attack and prevail, she will call him. And like a fool, he will answer. He will come, and if he should, then things will get... complicated."

"Let him come! I will crush him! I will kill him! And when I am done, I will put his head on a pike and I will rip the Triforce from his spirit and cast it to our world for the demons to rip and shred." Sarkoth smashed his spiked, scaled tail down on the cave's floor.

"You can't kill him, no one can, that's the point!" The voice echoed with anger. "I fought him. You can't win. With that damned Master Sword, no one can kill him. His idiotic crusade to save his princess and his skill with that sword make him unstoppable. A fool with a cause..." The voice paused with bitter hatred. "If we eliminate the sages, and capture the Zelda, we will have to deal with him. He won't let anything happen to his 'beloved'... and then what? I shall not fall by the tip of his sword again, and you will if try and oppose him."

"Master..." Zariux stepped forth. "If I may."

"What?" The voice asked angrily.

"If his power is the sword... then why don't we deny him that power." Zariux smiled a charming, devious smile.

"What would you suggest, then?" The voice, wrapped in darkness began to tinker the thought in his head.

"Why not set a trap at the sword. I know that we can't take the blade ourselves, as it can only be wielded by righteous hands... but if we take the obstacle down before he can take the blade..." Zariux stopped.

"He will pose no threat..." The voice finished. "Hmmm... You're proving your worth more and more Zariux. And you Sarkoth..." The voice said as the reptilian monstrosity looked up.

"You will prove your value as well, my vile associate."

"How can I prove my worth, my dark liege?" Sarkoth, in his corrupt, nauseating tone asked.

"By doing what you do best," The owner of the voice smiled and his eyes glimmered with dark ambitions and a plan. "By burning everything to the ground and feasting on the ashes."

In the dark of the cave, a large dark purple crystal pulsated with dim light, briefly illuminating the triad of evil. Inside the crystal, what looked like a man stirred inside very slightly, and then was still.

"How's his progress?" The maleficent voice asked. "Is he up to my standards yet?"

"He's still taking a while. There wasn't much of him left to be honest, my lord. But, he's is progressing faster than expected. He will be ready."

"Why do we even need him, my liege? My power is more than enough." Sarkoth roared

"Now, now Sarkoth. Everyone deserves a second chance. Our plan must be flawless, and he is the key to it all..." The voice's tone lowered with malice. "Besides, there's someone I know he's dying to see..."

The voice laughed low and to himself... plotting the fall of all who stood against him, hidden in the shadows.


	4. Chapter 3 Spectrum

Legend of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 3

Spectrum's Gathering

It was not difficult for Princess Zelda to slip away from the eyes of the public and the guards. As her age had grown, so had her understanding of her own power and that of the Triforce that had bonded with her. As soon as she reached the main hall of the castle, it was not difficult to fabricate an image of a princess and her guardian climbing the steps to the royal chamber ans shutting the door behind them. It was even easier to magically transport herself and Impa to a place that no one could stumble upon, unless they had received the summons sent to their hearts. As white light enveloped their beings and moved the very fiber of their bodies, the journey that ensued was swift and gentle, like being carried down river by a soft current.

When they opened their eyes, they were standing in a place that seemed to exist with no help of any physical means of nature. Light poured down from a portal that should have been a ceiling, the floor was made of water that was pure blue, but was held by no land or or any physical means. The walls were made of pure shadow, and while they appeared solid, it was difficult to distinguish if they were actually so, and most surprisingly enough, there was a man already there, standing on a yellow pedestal. The man was elderly, balding, with a white beard that extended from his ears to his neck. His eyes were kind and welcoming to Impa and Zelda, who had felt watched ever since they had left the royal court. Despite the man's age and appearance, a power could be sensed about him that no one in their right mind would challenge.

"Welcome Princess Zelda." The man said with a strong and happy tone, the way a grandfather would greet a child. As the two drew closer together, the man bowed and kissed her gloved hand as a sign as his undying loyalty to the royal family. Zelda intern bowed as gratitude and smiled at his formal gestures. "And greetings, Impa. You are most welcome as always." Impa nodded and even let a slight smile emerge across her face.

"How are you Rauru?" Zelda asked in her caring tone.

"I am well. That's the best that can be said. This temple constantly requires my keeping, as well as that of Hyrule. Things seem quite now. Kakariko village seems to be ever growing, as well as the Castle's town. The Gerudo have even been helping in creating a way station between the ranch and their village. It seems all of Hyrule is coming together for a new age. It seems that my role as the Sage of Light may be obsolete soon. We may be preparing for a Golden Age, if all goes well."

"So it would seem..." Zelda said.

"Something troubles you my Princess?" Rauru asked. It was obvious that she was troubled, as she looked at the shimmering ground.

"She wonders about 'him'..." Impa said. Rauru's face changed from troubled to understanding in that moment.

"I assure you, your highness, Link knows what he is doing. As the Hero of Time he feels obligated to help all that he can. If he is not here, it is because we are safe. He's alright. I may not know many things of the world, not since I took up the power of Light, but that much I am certain." As he finished, three other soft portals of light opened around them and three people stepped out of them. The first was young girl with green hair and clothes who stepped upon the green pedestal; a hulking, brown giant stepped forth onto the red pedestal; and the last was a woman with while, scaled skin and fins on her arms and legs, carrying a strange spear in her hand who stepped onto the blue pedestal.

"Ah, Saria, Darunia, and Princess Ruto, welcome to you as well... but where is Nabooru?" Rauru asked.

"Right behind you, a strong willed, feminine voice said amused. All the sages in the temple seemed shocked, save for the great Darunia and Impa, who were angered by the impertinence, but all were calmed as the elderly man raised his hands for peace.

"Nabooru... still as aggressive as ever. How good of you to join us. Don't you ever let your war like nature have a rest?" Rauru inquired with a hint of amusement himself. The woman behind him sheathed her long knife. Her bronze skin, crimson hair and golden eyes shimmered in the mystic light of the Sage's Temple, and she gingerly stepped onto the amber pedestal.

"It's the only thing that keeps the Gerudo alive, and maybe if other people of this land showed as much caution and strength, Ganndorf would not have easily risen to power." Then entire temple seemed to shudder in a way from that terrible name.

"Had it not been for that Fire Wyrm of Gannondorf, the Gorons would have smashed him and his castle to pieces. But I went to fight the great dragon!" Darunia yelled and pounded his chest, sending embers from his fiery fists.

"He feared the Zoras! That is why he froze us in our homes, powerless. Despite all that, I went to purify the temple and being peace to this world!" Princess Ruto shouted back at the Sage of Spirit, pointing her spear at her.

"NO!" Nabooru shouted. "It was the boy who saved you! It was the boy who saved me. It was he and the princess who defeated Gannon. That is the truth, and everything else is just words and empty hopes.

"Peace! All of you!" Rauru shouted. "We are not here to argue who is stronger, or shadows of the past." As he spoke, the light of the temple pulsated, and an aura of yellow light emanated from the elderly sage, silencing all.

"Yes..." Saria, the small "girl" said in a soft, almost inaudible tone. "I agree with Rauru... this is no time to fight. But, it leaves the question, why are we here? Why have we been summoned, Princess?" For a moment, all was silent, and then Zelda stepped onto the center of the plat form, the center pedestal with the symbol of the Triforce in the middle.

"I have called this council together because..." She paused for a moment. "Because I will be crowned queen." She looked to the ground. "I'm not sure I'm ready. I mean, I barely know my own power. What if something happens to me and I can't control the Triforce."

"We've... been discussing that, Princess," said Rauru with a slightly concealed tone, "and we've come to the conclusion that the Triforce must be separated from you before you ascend the throne. It was speculated that if a monarch were to hold th golden power, then they would be come too powerful... as we have seen by experience."

"That is outrageous! How dare you compare her to the monstrosity! To think that you would even insinuate that the Princess would attempt to take anything by force. She has done nothing but help the people and keep her power in check." Impa protested.

"Peace, good Impa. I was in no way comparing the noble Zelda to a past mistake. But, if something were to happen to the Princess, the only weapon that we have anymore would be gone, and if Zelda were to somehow become corrupted outside of her will, then we would be unable to stop her. She will still be the Sage of Wisdom and our leader..." Rauru's tone was somber. " Believe me, it is not a decision that was come to easily."

"It is not a decision that _we_ came to at all. Zelda is the only one with the power to defend the Triforce. She is the only that could harbor such power, and she is the only reason that things are going as peacefully as they are now. What happens if we separate the bond? It would be just as vulnerable as it was before, only this time, it wouldn't be complete with its other pieces. We don't even know if we can separate it. What if we try and it turns back on us, or worse, the Princess? I won't have it!" Impa retorted with a strong sense of betrayal.

"It isn't that we doubt the Princess." Darunia said. "Litte sister, " he said to Zelda specifically, "you are wise and powerful, but if you have the Triforce, then you will be a target. The royal family has been a friend of the Gorons ever since they recognized us... but I can't bear to see you hunted by all those who crave power."

"Zelda has been like a sister to me..." Princess Ruto spoke in her watery, mysterious tone. "I just don't know though. Lately, it feels like something is wrong. None of us doubt her abilities, especially with the Light Arrow. What we do doubt is that what if he comes back... what then? How do we fight against that kind of power without..." Everyone looked around uneasily. Ruto had mentioned the two people that no one could be sure of, one good one bad.

"Everyone of you, running around trying to decide what is best... has no one asked what the princess wants?" Nabooru stated even more amused than before.

"I agree with Nabooru." Saria said quietly, shocking everyone. "She's the Sage of Wisdom. She defeated Gannon, with Link. She's earned the right to choose for herself." Everyone was quite, listening to the sounds of water fall, looking at the ground or at Zelda standing on the symbol of the Triforce.

"Rauru's right. The Triforce of Wisdom shouldn't belong to anyone with my kind of power. Besides, we've already seen the corrupting power that it can bring about. I don't want that on my conscience. " Everyone burst out with protests against Zelda's decision or against those who spoke out. Zelda held her hands up and everyone fell silent. "I'm not a great warrior... or some omnipotent sorcerer, all I want is to do what is right. How can I do that when I'm not even sure if I can be Queen, let alone the wielder of part of the Triforce." Zelda said with all the uncertainty of any confused young adult.

"You need not worry, Princess." Rauru said with a bold and confident air. "You are the Sage of Wisdom, and the leader of all Hyrule. You are our leader too, take heart in that. We will follow you, no matter what you choose. You have our support and the support of the people."

"Then I think that the Triforce should be removed from my spirit, and hidden away." Zelda said with a sort of sadness, but weary determination.

"But what if we need the Triforce?! What if-" Impa began to say, but Zelda looked at her, as if pleading to understand her decision. "... I mean, as the Princess wills. We will follow you and your decision to the end."

"Very well. It is decided... In three days, Zelda will be crowned queen. One hour before the coronation, we will meet here, and we will remove the Triforce from Princess Zelda, where we shall hide it to the best of our abilities. Agreed?" Rauru faced the other Sages.

"Agreed" Everyone answered.

"Agreed..." Zelda said.

"Then go with the Light's blessing, and the Goddess's protection."

Deep in the earth, the three evil entities gathered as well, plotting the fall of Hyrule. However, the mysterious master's voice was concerned on other things.

"Damn those Sages!" The voice screamed.

"What is it master? What troubles you?" Zariux asked, with a slight tone of fear for his own safety. The master's servants knew all too well that he was patient, but if angered, his wrath was terrible and swift.

"They are going to try and remove the Triforce from the Princess! Damn them all!" As the voice's anger rose, the cave shook and began to hear with his power, turning the foul water into steam and the rock into liquid fire.

"But master, isn't that a good thing? This way, Zelda and the Sages will be weakened and their guard will be down. Why don't we take advantage of-" but he was cut off. A hand of pure shadow caused him to be thrown across to cave into the molten wall and then to the ground. Zariux's screams of agony caused Sarkoth's disgusting, scaled skin to shudder.

"You fool! What if the Triforce is damaged in the process?! They are trying to remove a power that no mortal can hope to manipulate. The Triforce chooses its master, not a council of foolish sages. And, if the Triforce is successfully removed, how will Zelda call the boy?! Or have you just been feeding on the slime for so long that your brain has rotted in your skull?" the voice's tone changed as it grew in rage, it went from its normal human like sound to one of dark and terrible power.

"Let me think for a moment without your ignorant interruptions..." said the mysterious master. "This may still work to our advantage... but it will take flawless timing and swift reaction... we will also have to hit all fronts at once. Will the other be ready?"

"Sir," Sarkoth answered for Zariux, who was still reeling from his assault, "He is already awake. He is deeper in the labyrinth. He said he wanted to get a feel for his new body..."

"Good. At least someone isn't a total failure around here." The voice said, calming down. "And what of you Sarkoth, can you do what it needed?"

"With pleasure, my lord. The fires and dead will rise in your honor to do all your dark bidding." Sarkoth's deep, guttural laugh came with corrupt pleasure."

"Good..." The voice stepped from the walls, but the shadows moved with him, revealing no corporeal form, "and I know you will not fail me either, Zariux..." two red eyes gleamed from the mass of darkness.

"No... master..." gasped the fallen servant.

"Good... Rest up, then Zariux. I want you to be at full strength. You too Sarkoth. If I see even one spark of magic from either of you, I'll rip you apart. You have two days. Go over the plan. I want you to know what to do, when to do it, and I want it done perfectly. On the third day, you _will_ be in position and on my signal, you will move, not a minute before." The voice's commands were strong and unquestioned. "Soon, very soon... a new golden age will begin, princess... a golden age of blackness."


	5. Chapter 4 Curtain Call of the Abyss

Legend Of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 5

Curtain Call of the Abyss

Two days passed, the sun rose and fell, people slept and woke... all except for the beautiful Princess Zelda. Only for an hour or so a night did she sleep, if that, anxious, worried, confident, and then all at the same time, uneasy. It was to be her coronation in only 12 hours, and she felt so scared and nervous about so many things. And it wasn't just that she was to become queen, or even that the Triforce was to be removed from her very soul, but there was something else... something wrong. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something watching her, waiting to strike. It had all been so different nearly eight years ago...

She remembered how it was when she was a girl. She remembered the first time Gannondorf came into the royal court, his armor black and gleaming from the sun, how everyone was so obviously drawn in, and it felt strange that she was not, in fact she was apprehensive of the man. She felt alone that everyone seemed to trust him, while she did not, and every time she spoke out about her feelings, she was just dismissed as a child, Princess or not. Then, she knew that he was evil by the way he moved, the way he spoke... she could see into his heart and mind, and saw him on a black throne in a kingdom of evil... And she had been afraid. Even with Impa, they could do nothing, and she was sure that she and her kingdom would be consumed by the shadow that had crept into Hyrule to destroy it from the inside out.

And then he appeared. The spirits told her that a hero would rise, and so he did. A boy, dressed in green fairy clothes had slipped past the guards and risked imprisonment just to see her. And she knew from the moment he saw him that he would be the one to save everything in their world. It was almost a crime that he should have to bear this burden alone, but she could see no other way. Ashamed to put the young boy in harms way, she gave him the tools and the quest to seek out the Triforce, the only hope of defeating the evil Gannondorf, while she tried to stall the evil sorcerer as best she could. At first, things seemed to go as planned, that was until Gannondorf discovered her plan, and Zelda was forced to flee with Impa from Gannon and his magic... she even watched as her father was killed that very night, a sign of warning to all who opposed the evil king.

Running as fast as she could, she remembered how terrified she was when Gannondorf questioned her about the entrance to the Sacred Realm and the location of the Triforce. She remembered how she and Impa fled with all the speed they had. She also remembered seeing Link again, and how puzzled he looked when she gave him the Ocarina of Time, the final key to the Temple of Time. She wanted to bring him with her as she fled, because she felt so much safer knowing Link was around. She knew as long as he was there, he would not let the evil Gerudo thief king harm her... and she remembered when everything changed. She could sense the moment the evil king Gannon was born, how the world rippled an screamed at its rearranging. She was so scared, scared that her defender, and her only hope had been...

But she learned that he lived, his being hurled seven years into the future, waiting until she called. She remembered hiding under her assumed name and identity, altering her appearance with the power of the Triforce of wisdom, that came to her quite unexpectedly. She remembered how strong he looked, defiant, with piercing blue eyes and the master sword in hand. She wanted to go to him then, to drop her guise and assure him that she was alright... but she could not.

She remembered how afraid she was the moment she was captured by Gannon, and the awful way he looked at her, amused at her attempts to fight back against his power. She remembered how Link stormed the evil citadel alone, all to face Gannon. The fight between the two was catastrophic, watching the two tear and slash at each other. Then when they had to leap from the disintegrating castle, and Link protected her from the fall and Gannondorf's vile minions. Then Gannon, in his monstrous new form arose with anger and power unrivaled. It seemed hopeless, with all that Link and Zelda had done, nothing could stop the emperor of evil. But Link, against all odds fought against him, unafraid and undaunted. He had fought for her.

And through all that, she had never felt so frightened as she did now. Ever since they met, Princess Zelda could always feel him somewhere, watching out for her and the kingdom, opposing all the forces of evil, but now... now she wasn't sure of anything. Even with Rauru and Impa's kind words, she wasn't confident that the choice she made would be anything but wrong. And if everyone else followed her, the blame would be hers entirely. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but what if it was something more? Was this what it was like to be Queen? Worried about whatever lurked around every corner?

All the while, Zelda had a little voice in her head saying "only a matter of time" and "failure is immanent". She tried her best to shut the indecision out, reminding herself that she was the Sage of Wisdom, she bore the Triforce of Wisdom, and most importantly, she would soon lead all of Hyrule. But, despite all her confidence, all those who trusted and believed in her, she still felt uncertainty. She had led out of necessity, but peace was different. And all the time, and then she saw herself, but not her... this incarnation of Zelda smiled wickedly, blood covering her royal gown, and a black crown adorned her head. "This is the legacy I leave the world... as I ascend the throne."

Zelda's skin crawled, her stomach felt sick, and she felt like crying... something she never did. "I will never become that which I despise." She thought to herself. But another the voice in her head spoke louder over her resolve. "You're weak. Alone. You've come to depend on a hero for so long, you've lost your edge. He's forgotten about you, you know? Gone to some distant land, gone to the arms of another woman, one much more beautiful and grateful than you. How could you do that, after all he did for you? You just cast him aside and sent him back to the way things were. You didn't even tell him how you felt. The true sign of a dark queen."

"STOP IT!" She shouted out her window, grasping her head. Then she felt her hand throb, the Triforce upon her left hand gleamed bright, and the princess's head began to swim. The moon was so bright that it almost hurt her eyes to look at it, and yet, everything was so dark that it seemed to be veiled in tangible shadow. But there was a hill illuminated as clear as day, and on that hill, there was a young man looking up at the Princess's window.

Her heart stopped, her eyes focused, closed, and opened again and he was still there. It was hard to breath for Zelda because her heart was beating so fast. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't an image projected from some lonely corner of her mind like so many times... He was there, standing on the hill, looking at her from a distance. It was almost impossible to be sure, but every time she closed her eyes and opened them again, he was still there. The man on the hill lifted his hand slowly, and it seemed like everything was moving slower to Zelda, like everything was underwater. It was like a dream that refused to move on.

His hand went up and beckoned her forth with a small wave and the princess felt her heart skip. She threw on an overcoat made of soft gray cloth and flew down the tower's steps, not even bothering with her slippers. As fast as her feet could move, she tore down the castle hallways, sending simple but potent sleeping spells at any guards that crossed her path. It wasn't long before she reached the heavy wooden doors that shut the outside world from the castle, now shutting her in from the one she longed to see. Raising her left hand to the center of the two large barriers, she cast them aside with the greatest of ease, almost tearing them off the hinges in her zeal.

Zelda made her way across the courtyard of the royal that was now wet with dew and cold from the night's touch, and as cold as she was, Zelda didn't care. Her heart beat with anticipation as she ran along the cobblestone path that was used almost every day by people and traders. As she followed it, the thought of what the other Sages would say when they found out that the Hero of Time had returned. But that thought passed quickly as she thought what he would say when they met. What had he been doing? Where had he been? Had he thought of her? All questions would be answered in their due time she thought, but now she had to reach him. But, as she climbed hill with all haste, even using her hands to claw her way up faster, she found that is was only her that stood on the hill.

"Wh-... Link? Link! Are you here? Link?" She cried, an obvious tone of desperation taking over. Had it all been a delusion of isolation after all? Zelda looked at the ground, disappointment so strong in her heart that she was about to begin to cry when she saw a figure in the shadows of the town's gates waving at her to follow. Zelda, relieved that it wasn't her imagination, swiftly followed Link into town. As the two raced through the town, Zelda felt alive again, despite the fact that she was at odds at the new Link. Normally he had been so polite and shy, but this playful side of him that she had never seen had invoked a new sense of purpose in the young Princess, dissipating all lethargy in her heart.

The two sprinted through the town, running down alleyways, darting through narrow streets and paths through the tightly knit town. It seemed that no matter how hard Zelda pushed herself, the boy who led the chase always managed to round a corner or dart into an ally before she could catch up to him. But their chase, while exhilarating, was relatively short lived. Zelda had run for nearly five minutes she hadn't paused once, keeping pace surprisingly well, at the cost of her heart pumping as fast as it could and her breath coming in rapid, jagged gasps. Their chase had led them straight to the doors of the Temple of Time, which Link quickly disappeared inside, opening the stone doors with relative ease.

Zelda too entered the temple, it's white marble floors polished to a mirror shine, it windows flooding the the sanctum with light from an otherworldly source. The columns that supported the massive stone edifice were made of the strongest granite in all of Hyrule, crafted by the stonemason's of old with both magicks long lost and skill of hand unmatched. Every crease in the stone, every design of art and science had been meticulously thought out and crafted into the pure white stone. And at the very end of the temple, in a room perfectly circular, stood a pedestal made of the obsidian and granite with the Triforce carved into by no human hands, adorned with the mystical, majestic blade, The Master Sword. Standing perfect, the sword had been crafted before any memory, before any Hylian, human, or other being could forge steel. It was perfect in its creation, and there it stood as a testament against evil.

Link stood with his back to Zelda, his green tunic and cap appeared clean and pristine, his silver underlays gave off a faint glow in the strange light, and his shield rested on his back, deep blue with the Royal Knight's crest of a golden phoenix reaching to the symbol of the Triforce. It was just as he looked nearly a decade ago. It was just as he pictured him in her dreams and memories.

"Link?" Zelda said quietly, still catching her breath, and very cautiously. He turned, smiling in a shy, charming manner that almost melted Zelda to the core. Her steps were slow, echoing in the empty temple, things seemed to be so slow, like the world had stopped. The distance never seemed to close between them, but it had and there they stood, only a few feet apart. Then, lowering all etiquette, she ran to him wrapping her arms around him. At first, Link was stunned, partially by her actions, and partially by her swiftness.

"I missed you so, Link!" Zelda almost screamed. "I heard you left on a journey, but you didn't even say good bye. For eight years I had no word of you. I didn't know where you were, or if you were or hurt or... or..." but she couldn't bring herself to finish. It was a rare moment of weakness, and it was strange that the normally reserved and proper Princess would open up like this, even by her standards. They two stood there for a moment, Zelda at ends with her own thoughts and actions.

But, all of the sudden, someone else entered the temple and began to applaud.

"Bravo, Princess, truly, it was a moving speech that you just gave. But now it's time to raise the curtain on the next act." A man dressed from head to toe in strange red and purple robes swept into the temple, clapping while moving forward. Zelda turned on her heel, her back still against Link's chest. "I think its time you played your part as well..."

"Who are you?" Zelda said surprised and slightly irate that this moment was spoiled. "What are you doing in this temple?"

"I have come on orders of a... higher power, my lady. To answer your second question, I am here to set the stage for a much grander show, one in which all of Hyrule will... participate. As for who I am... call me Agahnim. And now princess..." the mysterious figure snapped his fingers and everything happened at once. Zelda felt a strong force wrap around her neck, like fingers made of iron. She twisted and contorted until she faced the one holding her, only to see Link, or what appeared like him, holding her by the throat. His eyes were glowing red, his canine teeth extended into fangs, and while he appeared normal at first, that soon changed. The shadows crept from the corners and the hidden points to the impostor to wrap him in darkness and then seeped away. What was left was something twisted and frightening. The thing that was Link was now a being of total shadow, wisping in some unseen wind, its nails white and sharp around Zelda's throat. The only thing the remained the same was the burning red eyes and the fangs in a wicked smile...

"L-Link..." Zelda choked out, her voice rasped and strangling.

"In a sense, princess... This is Shadow Link, the incarnation of all his evil doings. Every saint has a past. All those monsters and people slain, even they had souls. Meet the dark side, the thing that you fear." Zelda struggled, kicking and tearing at her attacker, but each time her feet or fists landed, it was like hitting solid stone or empty air. She tried to focus to strike at him with her magic, but she couldn't choke out any words and the dark incarnation of Link grabbed her left hand with his free one and blotted out the symbol of the Triforce with his shadowy grip.

"That will do you no good. You see, while you are powerful, without an incantation or the ability to use the Triforce, you're just another little girl. Now, if you could speak, I know you would ask 'what do you want', right? Well it's simple... Call him." Zelda's eyes widened at first, in disbelief at what the the shrouded man asked. The only thing she could see of him was his eyes, black and emotionless, like a shark's eyes before a kill. Zelda shook her head, and tired to tell that she wouldn't and couldn't, but he seemed to know what she was trying to say.

"That's quite alright, your highness. You don't need to know where he is, you just need to know motivation, and the best motivation is that of necessity. Now... here's your part: you're a beautiful young princess in danger of being chocked to death and in extreme pain in need of a hero to save her. Now, lets see your performance." Agahnim's hand extended from his robe, twisted, thin, and gray and grabbed Zelda's wrist. His eyes met hers and then the greatest pain she had ever felt jolted into her body. Every nerve ending in her body split in pain as electricity and a dark light enveloped her body. Despite the false Link's incredible gasp on her neck, Zelda let out a scream that was so horrible all of Hyrule winced in pain at the terrible confession of agony.

"My, princess," Agahnim said while laughing to himself, causing his robes to sway and move up and down, "you are perfect for this role. How about a repeat performance?" The robbed man raised his hand and then quickly waved it through the air, making an angry slashing motion across Zelda. The pain that racked her body was twice as bad as before and the scream reflected it. No matter how bad the pain was though, Zelda never called Link's name, not even in her mind. As much as she wanted Link to be there, to help her, she would never endanger him. Not again. When the spell was done, Agahnim turned away as Zelda's body hung lifeless in Dark link's grasp, her feet dangling nearly a foot above the ground.

"My, you are a resilient one. I didn't sense any call to anyone. You are strong, I will give you that, but so is my master and the power he granted me. This next one will erase all thresholds of pain you may think you have. Lets see how well you can act." The robed wizard raised his hands with a jerk. He closed his eyes and focused all the power he could channel. Dark Link began to cackle in a dark and sinister way, and for the first time in a long time, Zelda was afraid.

The sorcerer moved his hands down, but before he completed his movement he let out a cry of pain. Zelda, in a state between unconsciousness and and lucidity noticed that there was an arrow protruding through the bizarre being's hand. Without turning around, and keeping eye contact with Zelda, his eyes narrowed with sinister laughter and smile, as he yelled.

"AT LAST! THE HERO OF TIME HAS COME!"

-This is the author. I'll be away for a while, class and work have me out of town, so it may be three or four days before another chapter is up. I apologize but there isn't much I can do. Thank you for your understanding. Also, I ask you review after you read, as It is quite encouraging, and feel free state any problems that you see story or writing wise and I value my reader's opinions and Point of views. Thank You. Matt.-


	6. Chapter 5 All Roads Lead to Hyrule

Legend of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 5

All Roads (or Seaways) Lead To...

(Three days previously)

The shoreline of Hyrule was on the southern border, just south of Gerudo desert and far west of the Kokiri forest. The beach laid docile for many years, populated only by the foam crabs and hyjin fish. No real port or docks had been built as there was not much need of inter sea travel when the Zoras controlled all of the internal waterways with their natural abilities and magic. It was easy for a young hero to slip away from the eyes of his friends and onto the sea to search the world and partake in the quest of which only he knew. Many months had been put into a boat of his own creation, making it much more familiar, and it had taken even longer preparing for the journey. Then the day came and when it was done, and unknown to all, he slipped away, unseen onto the great, blue plane.

It had been eight years... eight long years, and not a day had gone by that Hyrule had not been thought of... among other things. He had traveled the Great Sea for months on end before he would find solid land again. Normally there were only small, scattered islands, most uninhabited and unspoiled by any hand save for the Goddesses. Sometimes he would find a small village, some savage and small, others rather large, almost like a bustling new town from the traveler's homeland... There were a few times when his ship was cast onto the coast in pieces. The adventures that usually followed led to something that influenced him in all his actions, if by awakening a sleeping mystical being, or finding some artifact long lost to the world, or dispelling the evil in whatever form it took in any way that he could. Several times he had brushed death, whether at the hands of some hideous monster, a danger on the high seas, or the corrupt heart of an evil being, the young man had faced danger at every turn and each time he faced it with unlimited courage and strength of heart; and each time he survived and came out stronger than before. For eight years it went, his body growing, his skills sharpening, and his courage never faltering.

Lands had been discovered, relics of power claimed and on occasion destroyed, ships shattered and rebuilt, and lives and fates saved. The hero's heart guided him in his actions, doing what he could, the Triforce in his soul leading him on a crusade of justice and benevolence. While his loyalty belonged to justice and the Goddess's golden power, it had also been for another reason... a person, the thought of who was behind his every action. And so it had been for seven years, until the day came when his heart and the symbol on his left hand told him that it was time for his return. Something inside of him pushed him towards home, and with a smile and feeling of relief, he had begun the journey home. For ten months, the sailing had been a grueling test on his resolve with bitter storms and violent seas, the burning sun, and the strange and sporadic sea monsters had all seemed to block his path to the land of his origin, but there had never been a moment of doubt.

And his resolve had paid off. For all that time on the seemingly limitless ocean, a line became visible on the horizon: The shores of Hyrule... his home.

His feet had walked wooden planks and foreign land for so long, that his legs faltered for a moment when he set foot on the familiar soil. There had been no fanfare or crowd of people to greet the unsung hero, now a young man, and that was more to his liking. He never sought the approval or gratitude of those he saved, only the sense of justice and righteousness that he sought in all of his actions. Quietly, he pushed his small, but reliable ship with the face of a lion carved onto the face of the hull back out to sea, and nodded in appreciation for all its service. The boy's clothes were not of his homeland, exchanging his familiar green tunic and cap for a light tan shirt that was very light and deflected heat almost exponentially, and the pants he wore were made of a cool blue fiber that seemed to flow in the breeze the same way a leaf would. His bare feet made prints in the soft sand, and he smiled gently, laying down on the ground in complete relief. He had seen rise and fall all his journey, but it seemed so much more familiar now that it was over Hyrule. The breeze, the air, the sky, the ground, all were that much more comforting and meaningful because they belonged to his home. _His home_.

Among his belongings, the hero had a small satchel, a bow and quiver of arrows, a common looking sword in a brown, hardened, leather scabbard, a rope made of strong fibers that shimmered slightly, and a brown leather glove that covered only his left hand and wrist, leaving his fingers exposed for better dexterity. After reveling in the landing on his home shore, the young man moved forward, after gathering his belongings, across the shore, through the small path until he reached a small spring that gathered into a pool which he deemed of adequate size and depth. The man easily removed his lose sailing clothes and began to bathe in the cool, clear water. Every curve of the boy's body had been chiseled into his now tanned, olive skin. Muscle had been formed through months of grueling sailing, climbing mountains, running across plains, leaping from tree to tree, and fierce combat. After his skin had been cleaned of any lingering grime, and sweat, he opened his satchel, and withdrew several new clothes. After replacing his undergarments, he withdrew a brown tunic with white trim, a black leather belt, white pants, light brown boots, and a green cloak with brown trim. After placing his sailing clothes in the deceptively small bag, he fitted his new clothes to his body and began to move away from the slowly setting sun. For nearly an entire day, the young man traveled East. The first night was spent on the softest part of the earth he could find, which happened to be beside a stone outcropping. The land had turned from watery, rocky, and relatively barren to light grass and dirt fields. After spending night after night against the beating foam and rain and the cool sea breeze, the night was relatively warmer than what he had been used to for quite sometime, and the boy slept with ease. The next day, he turned North and began to travel along a stone lined path that he found close to noon on the second day.

By the traveler's guess, it was around three o' clock in the day. Because his legs were used to the swaying of the waves against the boat, the boy's legs were still adjusting to not having to compensate, and as a result, his fatigue would grow the more his body tried to compensate. After walking almost all day, he stopped to rest under a lone, old tree with large branches and broad leaves in a meadow of sweeping grass. The cool, sweet breeze caressed his face and before long, his eyes began to close, a sense of safety of being in his own land, similar to a man who sits in a house that he built from nothing, came over him, and before he realized it, his eyes closed and sleep welcomed him. His thoughts began to flow as freely as water down a mountain, ranging from his childhood with the fairy children of the forest, his sworn Goron "brothers", the adventures and teaching of the Zoras, his brethren of Hylians and humans, and the beautiful and cunning Gerudo and the sparring matches that they shared. He smiled in his sleep, enjoying the fruitful memories. Then her face appeared, that of a young, beautiful woman, smiling at him with flawless blue eyes. Suddenly, he awoke, startled at his sudden slumber, only to discover that the sun had moved considerably in the sky.

He was startled further by a sudden sound that had slipped up, unbeknown to him. His hand grasped the hilt of his sword. As he turned, he realized that it was a wagon led by solitary man. As the man who led the horse hitched wagon drew closer, the boy stepped from under the tree and into the open road. He raised his hand slowly, with an open palm. The man stopped the wagon by pulling the reigns to the side. The old man, twisted with age but obviously skilled with the wagon and horse looked cautiously at the cloaked traveler, and then to his hand resting on the sword's pommel. The young man, realizing his hand was still upon his sword quickly removed it. Raising his right hand, he touched his palm to his forehead, then to his heart, and then made a sweeping motion with his palm upwards.

"Ah! The royal greeting of the Hylian Knights... I've not seen that in nearly twenty years." The old man said with a gruff, and aging voice.

"Hail stranger," the boy said in a gentle and gracious tone, "how do you fair?" He said bowing low and humble.

"I'd fair a fair lot better if I knew who was holding up this wagon, stranger." The old man said in a more than slightly cynical tone.

"I am Link, the He-" he stopped "...just Link. And who are you, may I ask?"

"Well, 'Just Link', I am Kanin, of the Kakariko Transport Company. And what can this "old codger" as I am called now, do for a young man such as yourself?" The old man said with a warmer tone.

"The 'Kakariko Transport Company'...?" Link cocked his head to the side with a quixotic look on his face.

"Blimey! Don't tell me you've never 'eard of us! We transport supplies, rations, tools, whatever's needed to the trading post in Gerudo Valley way station, Castle Town, Malon Ranch, or wherever there's a buyer in need." The look on Link's face deepened with even more questions.

"... way station? The Gerudo have made peace with Hyrule?"

"Oy! Where have you been? Surely you can't be that out of events? The Gerudo signed a non-aggression treaty with the Royal family, swearing their allegiance to the crown. That was nearly seven years ago. Where in the bloody name of the the Goddesses have you been?"

"I've been... away for some time." Link said remorsefully. "What is that banner on your wagon?" He pointed to a deep, green and yellow banner with the golden phoenix of Hyrule's royal family on it that was draped across the side of the wagon.

"Yeah, I suppose you wouldn't know about that, seeing as how you just crawled out of the hole of wherever." The old man said somewhat amused. "You do know the Princess Zelda, do you not?" Link nodded assertively. "Well, she's set to be crowned tomorrow at noon as the new Queen of all Hyrule. Now, I hate to be rude young, master 'Just Link', but I don't intend to miss the ceremony. So, I must hurry to the station, and with a little luck, I'll be back in time to see our Princess take her rightful place." Link nodded, bowing low and repeating the same movements as before.

"Goddess protect you, Kanin, and guide your path." Link said graciously.

"And may they smile on you as well, young Link." Kanin said with a crooked toothed, but gentle smile. And with that, the man flicked the reigns to the horse and was off again to the west. Link made sure that the man was safely on his way, and then turned, gathered his items, and set off to the North once more, set to see the reason of his journey...


	7. Chapter 6 Enter The Protagonist

Legend Of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

(Disclaimer: This fan fiction is entirely fan based. I, the author am in no way affiliated with Nintendo or its trademarked series, The Legend of Zelda)

Chapter 6

Enter the Protagonist

It was the end of spring in Hyrule, the temperature was not hot, but it was pleasantly warm and the wind was gentle and refreshing. The main path that Link traveled for the remainder of the second day was not unpleasant in the least. He traveled the land, and for the majority of the trip it was rolling foothills and meadows of waist high grass that he occasionally traveled directly through instead of winding with the path. The hero's feet were grateful for the stable and familiar ground, and even though it was strange for Link to travel on land, it was noticeably similar to his original journey to the castle nearly a decade before. As the sun began to set upon his second day, the wind became slightly cooler and the dusk began to set.

Another day had passed so quickly and now, the young man sat against a small rock shelf that jutted from the rest of the flat landscape ever so slightly for just a moments rest. There, the hero ate a small amount of berries and wild grasses that he had come across and began to collect his thoughts and plan his next course of action.

The strangest thought that crossed the young lad's mind was that of Zelda being a queen. Things had been changing while he was away, and he began to wonder just how much had stayed the same. Had people set out to discover the corners of the world like himself, had the Gerudo really changed everything in their culture and given up isolation, had Zelda waited for him or had she...? Then, strangely, Link began to hear a small voice in the recesses of his mind, such a small tone that it was almost inaudible, but never the less, the words were there: "Forgotten" "Foolish journey" and "Another's arms" all echoed in his mind. His hand gripped tightly on his sword hilt, simply out of habit, and the jealousy began to rise. He turned around suddenly; his bow already in hand, notched an arrow from his quiver, and let the shaft fly into the night. At first there was only the whistle of the feathers in the cold air, but suddenly the noise stopped and an inhuman scream arose from the air.

The shadows manifested into floating rags and twisted dark limbs, and where a head should have been there was only a pale, frozen, smiling mask. The sickly grey and purple hands held a broken and dark iron lantern which cast an eerie ghoulish light. It let out another chilling scream, grasping at the mask that had been shot with the boy's arrow, all while writhing in pain. Link looked on unsympathetically while the creature floated in torment. Finally, the monster shrieked through the pain and began to charge at his opponent, but it was already too late. Another arrow went whistling in the dark, piercing the unholy mask in the forehead, bringing the thing down for good. As it hit the ground without a sound, the twisted creature dissolved into wisps black and purple smoke, leaving only the broken lantern and white mask with two arrows lodged in it, until it shattered into a million pieces, and finally blew away in lines of tainted air.

"Poes....Seems something's never change." Link said to himself, placing his bow upon his shoulder once more. Link withdrew his sword and walked over to the lantern which still burned dimly and stabbed through it swiftly, cleaving it and extinguishing the flame. "Some things do."

It had been nearly two days, but his feet knew the way, as he had traversed all of Hyrule once before, and the high ramparts of the Hyrule castle could now be distantly made out in the moonlight. Nestled on the foot hills of the mountains, it seemed to welcome Link home to a past age. But Link couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. What was that voice, and what had evoked such feelings in him? Had it been the poe, trying to feed off a sense of instilled fear and deception... perhaps, but it seemed like more. Whatever it was, he wouldn't let his guard down. Link would continue to move toward his goal, no matter what mishaps came across his path. And so, he began to travel north, leaving only two arrows point down in the ground.

The night was dark, and the chill in the air was penetrating as the clouds began to gather. The stars were blotted out and even the radiant moon was shrouded completely. What had started as a mild and familiar Hylian night had quickly changed into an unsettling and dark phase in which no living thing stirred. It was hard for Link to tell his exact bearings, the darkness had become thick, like a tangible shroud, but he could see the torches of Castle Town, guiding him. As he continues along the paths, the signs of the royal coronation became more and more obvious as banners with green, gold, and blue insignias lined the ways much more frequently.

The gates to the expansive city were open, and the moat rippled softly in the night air. Link made stepped lightly and swiftly upon the cobblestone roads, as he wished to be unseen and unheard by all the citizens. Drawing attention to himself was not in his nature, and he did not wish to disturb anyone in the late hour. The guards took no notice of him, as his dark cloak kept him shrouded slightly, and the fatigue of the night began to wear on the centurion's resolve. As he traversed deeper into the city, he saw that many things had changed since he had last seen the place. Where simple townhomes and a few stalls of market people stood now were made of stone and strong wood. Granted that the future he had seen was bleak, as the majority of the city had been burned and razed, never had he imagined that the one that didn't involve undead and evil beings could have been so magnificent.

Although Link had been absent during the growth and expansion, his memory did serve him well enough to find the inn at the heart of the city. He opened the door quietly and stepped into the lobby of the combined tavern and hotel (both of which had been separate close to a decade ago) and stepped up to the desk, behind which the asleep innkeeper leaned. Link very gently shook the middle aged man to consciousness. The man, groggy-eyed stood up startled, seeing only a cloaked and hooded being standing over him.

"Oh! What businesses have you here? We don't want any trouble, or I shall be forced to call the guards." Link quickly removed his hood and stepped back to bow low.

"I mean you no harm, sir. I only wandered…are there any vacancies?" Link asked very politely.

"Oh, a customer. Please forgive the abrasive greeting young man, what with your appearance and all. All I noticed was your sword and hood and… well I thought you might be a bandit or whatnot. With all the excitement, we've gotten a strange lot, we have." The man said jovially, through his lingering grogginess.

"No apology necessary sir, it was I who was at fault. Now, may I inquire about a room for the night?" Link's voice was very humble and lighthearted.

"Well, my boy, we're all full up, as it were. The coronation ceremony has every spare room and board occupied. Never seen so many people of all races and background in one place, I have. We got Zora, a few Gerudo, even a small Goron in the basement. Small bein' a relative term, lad." The man winked behind his spectacles and Link smiled in acknowledgement.

"Well..." the man pondered. "I have a spare quarter in the very top of the attic. Used it for a barmaid at one time, 'til she got a better offer at the ranch. Small, it is, but if you're only looking for a bed and roof, it'll do ya. Don't expect the dust to kill you, if you're interested. And I do say this, seein' as how I do like ya lad, it's probably the last chance you'll get for a room in the town, unless of course, you're a noble guest of the court. "The old man chuckled to himself. Link too had to smile at the unknown irony in his statement. Had Link been able to stealth his way into the castle, Impa would have more than given him a room and board, but that was not his plan.

Link acknowledged the man's offer, and graciously paid him in gems, rupees, that he had stashed away. The currency of the kingdom glimmered in the night, and was twice what the best room in the Inn would have cost, and the old man was astounded.

"For the room… and also for your hospitality." Link took the key from the man graciously and began to walk up the stairs, but stopped. "Also, sir, a question if I may."

"Sure lad… anything for you now. Consider me yer humble servant." The man laughed with a serious demeanor.

"Do you know when the ceremony will pass into the town's center?"

"That, young man, I do not know exactly. Most likely noon, or some time around. The Princess is supposed to give a speech to the kingdom and crowned in the witness of the people before taking the throne. So I am told, at least." The man nodded. "Is that all, my friend? Can I buy you a drink? Perhaps fetch a maid to draw a bath? Say the word."

"No thank you, although it is appreciated. You've been more than helpful, but I feel I shall retire." Link bowed graciously.

"Aye, I understand." The innkeeper yawned, stretched, and resumed his original position. "Good night lad." Link turned and climbed the stairs. He climbed the four floors until he reached the top where only two doors stood in the small corridor, one being a pantry for dry goods and the other being the room for Link. As he turned the key to the door, Link was surprised at just how small the room was. A bed and an end table were positioned between the two opposing walls with no space to spare. Only a little over a foot separated the foot of the bed from the other wall. Link was not one to complain, and while the space was slightly cramped, at least he was there safely. Much to his surprise as well, the room even had a window, and due to its high position, the square could be seen clearly from the small glass portal. And it was here that Link would keep a silent vigil upon the night. It was his nature to watch the night creep by, standing guard against any evil that would seek to cause havoc in the midnight hour. Rarely had he been able to sleep soundly anymore, not since his adventure began nearly ten years ago.

The hour was late, nearing five, according to the clock tower which stood boldly above the entire town's square. Link had taken off his tunic and boots, laying them down with his sword. His clothes had been sent down with the inn keeper to be cleaned, and had returned quite quickly. Donning his freshly cleansed garb, Link felt quite refreshed. He had rubbed the tension out of his muscles, still quite thankful that the world no longer swayed with a vast breeze and current. The night's air was cool, but not terribly chilly to Link, and he sat with his arms against the window, contemplating his next move as he had done ever since he began to return home…

The plan was simple, now that he knew where Zelda would be and at what time. The ceremony would start with fanfare, and the kingdom would gather along the roads to see the young woman leave the castle for the last time as princess. Link could imagine what kind of regal attire she would be adorned in, but he had no doubt that she would be more beautiful than all his worldly imagination could possibly conjure. As the royal procession neared the town, he would stand upon the rooftops, watching it intently. Then he would spring into action.

The path from the castle to the town led to the gates of the town, and directly before the town square. He would leap from his perch and in front of the royal guard. No doubt the tips of spears and gleaming swords would be drawn and pointed at him. But, he knew that when he withdrew his hood and cloak, the princess would look upon him... and he prayed that the order to "stand down and stay your weapons" would be given swiftly. After that, much thought was given, but nothing could be certain, but the chance of success and the rewards of such were more than enough to weigh the risks. And the boy knew that it was indeed a bold and brash risk.

He breathed the cool air that seeped and slipped its way through the cracks in the window sill. His heart began to beat a little faster in his chest because he knew that the moment of his absolution was close at hand. He had honed his skills, trained his body and his mind, and searched the world over for the ability to prove himself worthy. Now, after eight years, the chance for his every desire was now…. And his only desire was her.

He sighed very heavily, lost in the endless possibilities when Link's eye caught the sight of something strange. His sight had been sharpened by the years at sea, and he learned never to disregard something, no matter how small, as nothing. It was a flash of white, something small that flowed and was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. Link stared intently, opening his window and looking for it again. After a few brief moments, he began to ease back but then he heard something faint. Almost inaudible, he listened with his pointed, elf-like ears and he could make out footsteps. The cobble stone road and his sharp ears did not lie, and then came the brief glimpse of a gown that rounded a corner and was gone again.

At first, Link knew not what to do. Had it been some sleeping person out for a stroll? Unlikely. While Hyrule was not short on its unique and strange inhabitants, no one would go out for a walk in the dead of night in nothing but a sleeping gown. Perhaps it was some person merely sleepwalking. Link had no idea, but he began to move back to his bed when he heard something else. A gentle voice, like one hears in a dream. Very faint, it drifted on the air, "Link?"

His body began to act even before he could comprehend his actions. His tunic was already on, his belt was being fastened, and his bow and quiver slung around his shoulder. He compressed himself as small as he could and then began to crawl out of his window. With the strength and skill that came from all his physical training, Link grabbed the roof's edge and swung himself up and over the ledge. He nimbly stood upon the rooftop, looking out over the city, searching for any sight or sound which could be heard. His ears twitched and he silently began to run and jump from one perch to the other in the direction of the faint disturbance.

With almost superhuman dexterity, Link pursued every trace of the person he followed, if indeed that is what it was. He had learned to take everything as it was, not as what it seemed. But with every leap and bound, he could hear the steps more distinct. Occasionally, he even saw a wisp of blonde hair or the end of a royal bed gown dart into another alley or path, and he gave chase with all the speed he could muster, despite the need for cautious steps and footholds.

The chase that ensued seemed to go on forever, each second that passed resulted in another leap from a rooftop or sprinting from one end of a building to another. His feet were sure and steady as he ran, and all that was on his mind was his pursuit, yet he stopped suddenly. Looking up for the first real time, he saw the massive stone structure that seemed to jut out from the rest of the sky line of the town. The Temple of Time stood boldly and proudly, seemingly isolated in its archaic design against the more contemporary compressed urban surrounding.

It was there, while looking towards the temple that he noticed the large, solid stone doors were ajar.

And then, there she stood. Her blonde hair shimmered in the moon light, her gown flowed and danced in the gentle wind, and her steps were quick and soft on the steps. She climbed the stairs with a frantic pace as she reached the door, paused for a moment, and then disappeared inside.

Link flung himself from the roof he had been just a moment before. Landing as agile and silent as a cat, the sprint he broke into left dust in its wake. He had seen Zelda and her very image gave him renewed strength and speed that he had not had for near a decade. His legs felt as light as air, his pace rivaled that of Hyrule's greatest steed, and the world seemed to blur past him. The five hundred feet that separated the town from the temple was crossed in a matter of seconds.

The smooth stone steps were taken by twos and threes, being ascended with all the haste the boy could muster from his body. His mind could barely realize where he was until he looked and saw that the monolithic doors were merely an arm's length away. His steps slowed and he paused for a moment as the memories came back like a fit of sickness.

He remembered the steps he had climbed as a child, and how they seemed much taller and harder to traverse. The doors had opened for him then, unseen forces of a destined nature. He retrieved the mystical gems from Gannondorf's lieutenants, confronted the Dark Prince himself, and defended the Ocarina of Time from his wiles and it had granted him entry so long ago. That night, when he entered the temple it was quiet, the sky was dark and torn with lightning, and his stomach was on edge…. like now. Little did he know, at the time, he was playing right into Gannon's hands. And now here he was, full circle, the night quiet, the sky dark and stagnant, and his entire body tense.

He touched the wall of the temple with the palm of his hand and to his surprise it was warm. It felt like a subtle current of electricity ran through his body. It was the same feeling he had when he touched the sword so long ago. When his fingers first met the Master Sword he felt power course through his entire body. He felt complete. He felt the same way he did with her.

Almost as if on cue, his thoughts snapped back to her. And then a sickening cry rang out in the night so loud and powerful that he was taken aback and almost paralyzed. It was her voice, but it was in unimaginable pain. Link rushed to the massive stone doors and he saw that slowly they were beginning to close. With barely enough time to exhale, Link flung himself into the narrow gap and rolled inside onto the smooth marble floor.

The pit of his stomach dropped when he heard the second scream resonate through the brilliant stone room of the Temple of Time. His first instinct was to reach for his sword but to his great shame he realized he had neglected to take it from his room in his great haste. He did have his bow and quiver of arrows however, and both were at the ready in his skilled and steady hands. But, what his eyes saw made his grip tighten and his teeth clinch.

A thing made of shadows stood in the middle of the grand temple, a twisted visage of a person with piercing red eyes. Another person, if that is what either of them truly was, also stood in the middle of the temple, shrouded in strange red and purple robes. And there, in the grasp of the shadow monster was Zelda, her feet dangling in the air, held by the inhuman choke hold. The sight of her limp body, her blank eyes, and thought of her in pain was enough to enrage every fiber of Link under his calm exterior.

Then the robbed man spoke in a tone which reflected slight exhaustion and amusement.

"My, you are a resilient one. I didn't sense any call to anyone. You are strong, I will give you that, but so is my master and the power he granted me. This next one will erase all thresholds of pain you may think you have. Let's see how well you can act." And as he raised his hands to do something Link was sure would kill the princess, he let a notched arrow fly. The shaft flew in the still air, whistling strangely until it hit its mark: the hand of the wizard.

At first, it was as if time stood still. No one moved, not a sound was heard, but the gaze of the malevolent demon turned from his captive to Link. The injured man merely drew his hand in with a small gasp of pain, but then began to shake slightly with laughter. He then turned, his lose garb twirling and flowing with his movement, peering through a small opening in his hood at his assailant.

"AT LAST!" The strange man shouted. "THE HERO OF TIME HAS COME!"

But Link already had another arrow notched and aimed at the man's head.

"Let…her… go." Link said calmly but menacingly through his teeth. Again, no one moved, no one spoke, but he saw Zelda's eyes widen a little, half conscience. "I won't ask twice."

"At last… all the players have assembled." Came the response followed by another sharp whistle of an arrow.

[Author's Notes: I apologize for the great delays that have encumbered this latest installment of my story. It has been written, re-written, and I still don't think it's as good as it could be. I apologize. Perhaps I will revise it sometime in the near future. However, I plan to continue on with the story. Expect the next chapter soon. Feel free to review, as I enjoy it quite a lot to know what my readers think.]


	8. Chapter 7 Dubious Ultimatum

Legend of Zelda

Chapter 7

Dubious Ultimatum

Another arrow was shot from Link's bow, splitting the air as it was loosed. But the target, the strange cloaked and robed man, was not pierced a second time. He raised his hand, the one without the hero's arrow lodged in it and a strange glow of dark light formed in his sickly palm. As the arrow made contact with it, it shattered into hundreds of small fragments, and scattered upon the floor in shards.

"That will do you no good, young hero." The man mused. Link showed no sign of surprise, although now he was at a loss. If his bow would do no good against the wizard, then he was now on the defensive. And he could not fire at Zelda's assailant, he wouldn't risk hitting her.

"Let her go." Link said again. He notched another arrow, despite the futile effort.

"No. I'm afraid I cannot do that. The master has plans for her in his grand performance, as well as you, dear boy."

"Who are you? What do you want with the Princess?!"

"No, no, no." The magician responded, feigning surprise and guilt. "Your better half and I," he said pointing to Dark Link, "we're simply playing our parts. It seems the Princess of Destiny has something our master desires very much. "And your question of our identity… I'm shocked that you do not recognize my cohort. Take a closer look, will you?"

Link's gaze turned to Zelda, her body limp and almost lifeless as it hung in the air. He looked closer at the one holding her and immediately recognized it as his evil doppelganger from so long ago.

"And for me, he said," I am called Agahnim."

"LET HER GO!" Link yelled, his voice reverberating violently off the stone walls, his bow string drawn back and tense.

Agahnim looked for a moment, his eyes drawing and closing, obviously smiling under his hood. His grey and twisted hand closed and the arrow that had been there a moment ago faded away into vapor, leaving only a bleeding wound that trickled blood. He turned and nodded at the shadowed macabre image of the hero who immediately released his grip. Zelda fell to the floor with a dull and sickening thud, letting out a sharp exhale. It took all of Link's trained patience and combat prowess not to lunge forward at the two with all his vindicated zeal. But he knew better. There was no way he could save Zelda if he was dead, and without a way to put them on the offensive, he was powerless. All he could do was wait and watch for an opening.

"Well, I'm sorry to part you two on such open ended terms, but the princess must be going now. She has a new scene to play. As for you, we will see if you have a repeat performance. Link…" Agahnim said to his evil compatriot, "Take the lovely young star to…" But, his words fell on deaf shadowed ears. Dark Link's gaze was fixed upon his pure foil. His dark eyes burned and his teeth were bared in an inhuman rage. "Dark Link, what are you doing?! I'm ordering you to take the girl to the master!" But it didn't matter. As soon as the words were uttered, the shadow demon had already lunged at real Link.

Link fired a shot, causing his shadow clone to stop. At first it seemed like his arrow had made contact and felled his opponent. The evil counterpart stopped dead, still as if in awe at a wound. But in truth, the arrow was in the shade's hand all the while, and then the subtle sound of it snapping echoed through the air. The monster's smile was diabolic and evil as he cast the broken shaft away and then resumed his leap.

Link rolled away to the side, barely avoiding the claw like hand that swiped at his head. The resulting sound of tearing wind was too close for his comfort. But the hero had no time to think, only react, as again his opponent continued the vicious and animalistic attack. Link, however, was not defenseless and he back flipped quickly, following through with his own counterattack, his kick catching Dark Link under his chin and sending him away. The blow did not hinder the demon, and he quickly returned to his feet. Instead of resuming the offensive, Dark Link stopped and stood perfectly still, as if paralyzed.

Link stood defensively, ready for anything, but a shining light from the middle of the room caught his eye. The wizard Agahnim held in his bone like fingers a light purple crystal that glowed and pulsed.

"I said stop, you disobedient shadow! Take the girl to the master now!" The shadow of Link stood still for a moment and then moved almost begrudgingly. Slowly, he began to move closer to Zelda, never taking his eyes off of his antithesis. Link stepped ahead to challenge the command given to his opposite, but was quickly thrown back by an unseen force. His body met the granite wall with extreme force and then slid down to the floor. Link stood against the wall, reeling from the impact and his legs almost gave way. He looked up and saw Agahnim with his hand outstretched and the crystal glowing in the other.

He also saw his dark incarnation kneel over the Princess, pick her up, and vanish in a swirl of shadows and dust. Just before they dissipated into nothingness he saw her. Her eyes were half open, slightly glazed over, unsure of where she was or what was going on. Her hand was outstretched, looking at him with one word on her lips. "Link"

Link began to rush forward but saw Agahnim moved his hand again. Once more, the ground seemed to disappear from under his feet and he was cast into a stone pillar. The young hero collapsed to the floor and returned to his feet a little slower than the previous.

"Where has he taken her?" Link said, face down, seething with anger. Agahnim only laughed softly through the cloth covering his face. This was more than Link could bear, to have been so close, to have her slip through his fingers, to put her in danger _again_ because he lacked action.

"WHERE IS SHE?! TELL ME!!" Link shouted so loud that even his own ears rand at the force of his voice.

"No." Was the villain's response. Enraged, Link leapt to his feet and notched an arrow into his bow. The shot he fired dissolved, just as the other had done. Link fired a second shot and the result was as futile as before.

"Is this it? Is this all the Hero of Time can do? Waste time and energy shouting at a mere wizard? How do you intend to save your beloved Princess if you cannot even defeat me?" The magician mused to himself in an arrogant tone. Before the gloating illusionist could continue on, Link had already taken action. Another whistle was heard, and as the arrow rushed towards the robed mage. Again his hand rose and swiped away the arrow that broke away like tiny grains of sand.

Suddenly a pain shot through Agahnim's shoulder. He cried out in the prompt sensation and saw Link standing behind him, thrusting another arrow in with his bare hands. At first the evil magic user could barely believe what had happened, and then the anger rose. He screamed in a rage. He no longer cared what his lord had commanded, the boy had injured him, and that was an insult he could not bear. He began to turn, a fiery orb burning in his clutch, but it was short lived.

Link had caught his wrist in his hand, his grasp firm and strong, and with minimal force, brought his other hand down on the forearm of the wizard. The resulting snap caused the flame to dissipate and Agahnim to scream in agony.

Link stepped away slowly, never taking his letting his guard down. The robed figure sulked away in pain, one arm dead from the shoulder down and the other broken and cradled close to his body.

"I've put the arrow's head between the sockets of your shoulder. I doubt you could raise it at all, and if you could, you'd do so only once. I also shattered your wrist. You can't direct your spells anymore, sorcerer." Agahnim simpered slightly, and found that the more he tried to use his hands, the more the pain shot through them. "You close your eyes when you focus. Perhaps, it wasn't as much a waste of energy as you thought, was it?" Link stepped forward and Agahnim moved back.

"Now, sorcerer, I want answers. You're going to give them to me. Where did that monstrosity of yours take Princess Zelda? Who is this master you speak of? What are you trying to accomplish?" Agahnim said nothing, eyes wide and cowering. Link's patience had been worn thin and he rushed forward and grabbed Agahnim by his robes, shaking him with rage. "Tell me where she is!!"

But Agahnim did not move. He did not say anything. Link saw that the mage's eyes were glazed over, no longer circles of colors or yellowish white, but completely black and hollow. And when he spoke, the wizard's voice was not his own, as if many people spoke through him at once.

"Ah, young Link...I see you made it home safe and sound. How do you like your homecoming? I did try to make it nice for you. Much planning was put into it, after all." The wizard's body broke away from Link's grasp and stood boldly, controlled by someone unseen.

"Gannondorf…"

"Ah, I'm so glad that you recognize my art work. It is a good feeling to be appreciated." The disembodied voices laughed.

"How could I not? Only someone as deranged and sick as you could resort to such acts. But how? I banished you myself. I saw you sealed away."

"Fate has a funny way of balancing itself out, young man. You think just because you banished me from this realm, that it was over between us? No, I think not. But do not think it was all warm breezes and calm seas for me, hero." The black eyes were so emotionless; it was as the human puppet was dead, just forced to move against nature's will.

"Do you want to know what you condemned me to? A world in flame, desolate, creatures of the darkest and most disgusting kind, the kind that make the undead I controlled in this world look like happy little normal people. Feeding of the filth and death from the other worlds that get dumped into that pit, it's vicious. The most powerful dominate and ingest the weaker, and everything is dark and crushing. It's beautiful."

"Well, if you miss it so much, Gannondorf, I'll be sure to send you back with all haste."

"If anyone is going there with haste, it's you, dear boy. Perhaps I'll visit your broken remains in the decaying dust with your lovely…" he paused to savor the words as they were spoken, giving no doubt as to their intent, "Princess Zelda."

"I'll send you back to that burning abyss in pieces if you don't return her at once!" Link's anger has spilled over.

"No, I think not. Things have changed. And I intend to change them further… and as my minion said, she is to play a grand role in all of it."

"Enough, Gannon! If your quarrel is with me, then let it be with me! Let it be over and done with here and now, but spare the princes. She has nothing to do with us." The firmness in Link's voice was bolstered by his resolve.

"On the contrary, _she has everything to do with it_! The dear Princess has something of great interest to me, and I shall have it. And as defiant as you and the princess are, you'll both kneel to me in the end. Perhaps Zelda will even join with me."

"She'd never side with an abomination such as you." Link spat in response.

"And you think what? She'd rather be with a mere boy, such as you? What a laughable notion that you believe she thinks so highly of you." Agahnim laughed in the eerie and ominous voices that possessed him. "It doesn't matter; dead or alive, I shall take both of the Golden Relics you and her posses." Then the animated vessel pondered for a moment.

"She is quite beautiful, isn't she?" Link clinched his fists in anger at Gannondorf's rhetorical questions. "There are ways to bend her to my will. Perhaps when all is said and done, when my power is complete and my kingdom reborn… I will take her as my queen.

Link grabbed an arrow and fired it at lightning speed, but it only passed through the wizard as if he wasn't there at all. It made contact with the wall and splintered into pieces.

"You won't touch her!" Link shouted; his face growing red and his muscles tense and ready to act.

"That's right! Get angry! Strike out! I'm the one who ruined your life! And I've savored it. Every moment that you've struggled and fought that was my doing. From the moment you were conceived, it was me who opposed you."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, more angry than inquisitive.

"You don't know, do you?" Gannon's voice cackled. "You really have no clue about any of it, do you!?" Agahnim's body spun and laughed chaotically. "Ask your beloved sages. Ask them who made you the hero, because it certainly wasn't fate. All that you are, you owe to me. All that have become, I have made you. And now, we're going to see who the true favored avatar of the gods is: You, the Hero of Time and defender of courage, or Me, the harbinger of power and destruction. He waved his hand and the Triforce symbol on the Temple's polished marble floor radiated with golden light. A cracking sound rippled through the air.

The stone back wall, behind the altar of the temple split in two, and slowly opened. There, a large, round room was revealed, the floor a polished and glossy stone that strangely resembled a blend of ebony and opal. And there it stood, gleaming in the darkness.

The Master Sword.

Boldly, the sword stood in a pedestal of radiant white marble, its blade reflecting the dim light in the room, almost magnifying it. The pommel and blade didn't have a speck of dust or a scratch. Neither age nor use had been unable to affect its perfection, and no evil could dare disturb it, only the young man whose hand almost ached to grip the weapon of righteousness again.

"Take the sword, young Hero! Let us see what you have learned in your self imposed exile." Agahnim's body stood down, perfectly at ease. "I want there to be no doubt as to what really happened here. I want to know that I crushed you when we were both at our best. Today will be the day when the story reads as thus: The Hero of Time met his end at the hands of Gannon, the true master of the Triforce!

Link hesitantly took a step back, yet he never released Gannon's puppet from his sight. Again he took a step back, and another until he entered the door way of the hidden sword's resting room. Link could feel the power of the sword pulling him, compelling him to take it once again and dispel the evil that had made its way into the temple.

His feet touched the pedestal and would go no further. And then he tasted blood.

He felt a pain in his chest and when he looked down, a black shard had pierced his sternum. His body began to feel heavy and painful, but he forced through the feeling to look up. A man, standing bold and tall, with fiery red hair and pitch black armor stood smiling. His bronze-green skin looked sick and menacing in the dim light, his golden eyes gleamed with malice, and his look of self satisfaction was almost inhuman.

"G-annon…dorf." Link said with intense rage and increasing pain. His assailant, no longer hiding behind a puppet or mask leaned in and grinned even broader.

"You didn't actually think that I would let you take the instrument of my destruction, did you? Come now, Link. It seems your trusting nature never changes. And you, my young, righteous friend have just spent 8 years of your life…for nothing. You see, unlike you, I have the will to do what is necessary to vanquish my enemies, not simply banish them." The young hero's body was dying ever more rapidly, and the more he struggled, the more his body refused to move.

The actual Gannondorf swept by Link, his victim unable to move in response. Slowly he examined his left hand, the golden Triforce symbol upon his dark armored gauntlet. Then, violently and powerfully, he struck the young man, just above the bridge of his nose. Link's blood oozed down from the new, relatively minor wound, but still he could do nothing, he movements limited to blinking and breathing. His face now being covered in blood slowly with ever beat of his heart, Link could do nothing but watch, blood now seeping into his eyes.

"If you're wondering what exactly that thing embedded in your chest is, consider it a gift from the wonderful nether-world you sent me to. With a little of my own special talent added to it, it can not only corrupt anything it touches…for you, it will kill." Gannondorf gloated in such confidence that he could hardly contain his evil glee. "How does it feel, Hero of Time? To be powerless, to be unable to act and simply watch that person whom you most despise walk freely? When you do that for a life time…then we will be even. Unfortunately, I doubt you'll last another minute."

Link's breathing was shallow now, painful, and his vision began to darken.

"Oh, and as for you precious Princess of Destiny, you have my word that she will receive my personal attention. Perhaps if my minions aren't too zealous, I'll invite your dear Sage friends Saria and Ruto join us. After all, a proper king is in need of his consorts." The words were whispered in Link's ear, and it felt as if the words dripped in malice and depravity.

Something inside Link snapped. His resolve as a warrior and a hero were shaken, and even the drive for survival was suppressed under his desire to protect those he cared for and defeat his vile enemy.

"_**I'll kill YOU!**_"

Link forced his arm to move, despite the feeling like it was ripping itself off one fiber at a time. The blow met with Gannon's jaw, and had such ferocity behind it that it caused him to fall back. The dark king was stunned. No living thing should have been able to act with the shard of death in him, and yet his opponent's resolve had given him the strength to strike him. His shock was mixed with amusement, and he began to laugh in a low tone until he burst out maniacally.

"You are a stubborn one." Gannondorf spat blood out of his mouth. "I hope you savored that, because it is the last act you will ever have in this world. When I'm finished ripping the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda being, I'll come back for yours. Not that it will matter to you. In the mean time…" The evil sorcerer gripped the black stone shard and plunged it completely into Link, driving through spine.

Link screamed out in pain. His face froze in agony and then his vision went black. Outward, Link's skin and clothes seemed to be frozen in time and then darkened to the hue of obsidian. His body frozen in place, the Hero of Time was now perpetually stuck in death, an ebon statue, powerless and dead.

Meanwhile, Agahnim, now released from the manipulations of his master writhed on the floor of the temple. His arm aching terribly, shooting pains up and down his entire body, and his shoulder immobile and losing blood from the arrow still lodged in it. He didn't hear the heavy, armored footsteps of Gannon, but he felt the powerful kick to his stomach. All air immediately left his lungs and more tears of pain poured down his face.

"Get your worthless carcass back to the sanctum. You have three hours to treat your wounds. As for your failure, I'll deal it later. Secure the girl, recuperate, and make sure to discuss the plan with the others. I don't care if you bleed to death, you will do as instructed _perfectly_ or I will give you a fate worse than death a hundred fold." He leaned over and picked up the robed lackey with one hand and held him in the air. "Do you understand?!"

"Y-ye-ss, master." Agahnim choked out with blood and tears, and was subsequently dropped immediately. He cried out in agony and disappeared in a swirl of shadows and wind, still curled up on the floor in pain.

Gannon stood in the center of the temple, empty except for the solidified remains of his rival. In a mocking gesture, Gannondorf touched his head with his palm, then his heart, and made a sweeping motion with his arm and bowed low to his adversary.

"Goddess Protect you, Hero!" And he too disappeared, leaving Link silent, dead, and frozen in time in the same place where his journey in time started.


	9. Chapter 8 Set in Motion

Legend of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

(Disclaimer: This story is completely fan based and is no way officially affiliated with Nintendo or its trademarked franchises or characters. Also, author's notes at the bottom,)

Chapter 8

Set in Motion

"What happened?!" Ganondorf yelled enraged at his cowering minion. "I thought you said your creation would obey your every command. He nearly took the boy's damn head off!" The wizard cowered low, dwarfed by his master's towering stature, cradling his slowly healing wounds. The magic, while potent, was a slow process.

"I-I do not know, master. He did obey, but something about the boy caused a change. The presence of the boy enraged him, for some reason. Perhaps it was his previous defeat, or some motivation for revenge. To be honest, my lord, the forces we are tapping into are still unknown to me. My knowledge of dark world opposites was more theory than anything."

"You're useless." The dark king turned from his lackey and pondered.

"Forgive me, master." Agahnim kneeled and pleaded.

"There is no forgiveness for failure!" Agahnim was cast against the wall and held there, every inch of him crushed under the magical forces at work. That cave shook and shuddered, the slime and bile parted, and the small, huddled mass that was the wizard lost consciousness before falling to the floor. Ganon never turned around. After a moment, the towering villain held a sliver of a crystal in between his thumb and forefinger, making it pulse which summoned the shadow incarnation of the late Link in the whirl of shadow and wind.

"Take him to his chamber." Ganondorf motioned to the crumpled heap that was Agahnim. "Dress his wounds and make sure he is ready to move in time. When you are finished, you are to return to the Princess's chamber. Make sure she is kept under constant suppression. We have two hours in which to execute our attack…" The evil doppelganger did as he was told, silently, without any sort of acknowledgement. As he began though, the dark lord stopped him.

"Wait!" He said asserted. "Why did you disobey your orders? Agahnim gave you a command, and when he gives you an order, his word is my command. Tell me why you refused to obey?!" Dark Link did not move or speak. It was as if he too was made of stone, just as his other half was. He began to move to fulfill his orders, but his master's anger stopped him. Ganondorf's hand reached out and grabbed the shadow of Link by the throat, but he was met with resistance. The sharp nailed hand of Dark Link grasped his wrist, asserting an impressive amount of force, but for nothing all the same. Ganon's physical strength was dwarfed by only his maliciousness, and his grip only tightened in response. The evil incarnation struck out with his fist, but was caught by The Dark King's titanic grip. Dark Link's red, burning eyes met Ganon's gold and crimson eyes, and the tension began to rise.

Ganondorf laughed amusingly, so assured of his power. He threw his summoned servant down, who landed nimbly and looked up with scorn, but with obedience that could not be resisted.

"What is it? What makes you so fueled by hate? Is it because I robbed you of your revenge? You wanted to be the one to end the life of your "better" half. Well, I apologize so dearly. Unfortunately, you were not created to serve your own needs; you were created to serve mine!" The shadowy figure stared up at his master, undeterred by the obvious mismatched power between the two.

"Continue on with your orders. Send Sarkoth and Zariux to my audience." Ganondorf turned his back to his minion, looking now to his own thoughts. The shadow of Link kneeled by Agahnim's limp body, and began to teleport when his master spoke again. "Do not forget who the master is." The evil lord grasped the crystal tightly. The result was evil Link's entire body being racked with pain. Although his face contorted with agony, no sound escaped the dark boy's being. Finally, the clutch upon the purple crystal was released, and the pain ceased in the servant's body.

"Should you disobey or fail me in any way, I will destroy you. Now get out of my sight." Without any other action, his servant was gone with Agahnim, and Ganon was left alone with his thoughts once more. The momentary silence was broken by the sound of rushing wind and slithering bodies. Ganon never turned around.

"My dear Sarkoth, I can actually hear your disgusting presence."

"Thank you my liege." The Sarkoth said in his nauseating voice said with a supreme satisfaction.

"You summoned us, my lord?" Zariux asked humbly in his strange and serpent like manner.

"Yes I did. The sands of time are slipping closer against us. We have little time. The sun is already rising. Soon the sages will convene and expect to see their princess alive and well. Is the spell ready, Zariux?" Gannon said, as he turned, with little concern visible.

"Yes mi'lord. To the best of my abilities, I have prepared the incantation. With your power fueling the spell, it should cloak you from that sage's senses. Assuming your plan works, they will be defenseless."

"Do I sense doubt in your voice, Zariux?" Gannon asked, his tone cold and blunt.

"No, my king, simply that I do not understand the Triforce's, or the girl's power. Against mortal magicks, I'd have no doubt. The sage's protective forces are nothing; the girl's abilities are another matter. She may still have the raw power to sense you." Zariux said, pondering his own actions and every possible outcome.

"I can handle the girl. The rest, as I said, was up to you." Ganon replied malevolently.

"I have done all I can, sire." Zariux's tone wavered with slight doubt.

"Then that's all that can be done." Ganon's tone was easy can calm. Zariux and Sarkoth's breath eased a little more as a result. "And if you have failed me then I shall tear you soul to pieces and crush the remnants into oblivion." The Dark King laughed, amused, and the putrid flesh of his servants crawled and shivered.

"And what of the preparations made? Are you set to move at my signal?" Ganon's demeanor quickly changed to serious and imposing.

"Yes, my lord." Sarkoth stepped forward and kneeled. "All of my preparations are complete. At your command, we shall have things well in hand."

"Good Sarkoth. I know you're anxious. And I assure you, my dear servants, your patience shall be rewarded. There shall be much suffering and death to feast upon. The realm of Hyrule will be shown the true meaning of destruction." The two minions of the Thief King smiled wickedly, relishing the thought of the impending massacre that awaited them. "I want nothing left standing. All life will be stamped out. I have no use for prisoners.""

"Understood, my king." Sarkoth mumbled in his sickening growl.

" Lord Ganon," Zariux said interrupted. "I noticed Agahnim was injured in the attack. Might I use my power to aid his healing?"

"Yes, make sure he is ready. But, do not alleviate his pain. Let it serve as a reminder that failure has its own rewards. Until he is completely healed, I want him to wallow in agony." The demon king paused and nodded. "You should take heed of his example. His infraction was small. He should have pulled back when I told him. He SHOULD have maintained control over my subordinates. Be he didn't do either. In doing so, he wasted too much energy fighting the boy, and as a result, the fool got careless. And now he's healing from a shattered arm and a hole in his shoulder."

"My commands are not a suggestion. I have fought this battle. I have gone over it time and time again in my head. It is all I thought of for an eternity. If you think you know better than me, then by all means, step up now and be heard." A dark thing gleamed in Ganondorf's hand, and his two minions cowered away. "Good. Then when I tell you to do something, you do not hesitate. You do not put your own agenda ahead of my orders. And you do not let your pride interfere with my plans." Ganon's intent was clear. Agahnim's actions had been too much rebellion for his taste. Even though he did not lash out, it was clear that the evil man's patience was worn thin and he was beyond simple actions and words of reprisal.

"I've come too far and we're too close. The next action that you take without my approval will be the last. And if you think I'm simply suggesting that you will die painfully, then do as you wish. But I warn you, I'm always watching, always there, and I'm not about to let some dim witted reptile or snake in sheep's clothing ruin all that I've worked for." Zaruix was about to speak out, but a flash of something silenced him and Ganon's hand was higher.

"You will be fighting the Sages. It is true; alone they are nowhere near the power they are when together, but they will be in their element. They will have the high ground, and they will use every advantage that they have. Do not underestimate them at all. Just because they are a woman, or because they slink away to the shadows, they are not beaten until they are dead. And they are only dead when I say they are broken and rotting. So do not hold back. AT ALL! Am I understood?!"

"Yes, my lord." Sarkoth and Zariux said low and carefully.

"I am benevolent to my loyal subjects. And I assure you, there is much in this world to be had. And if you do as I say, then you can rape, murder, pillage, plunder and burn until every inch of this world is black and barren. But disobey and you'll die either by my hand or the Sages."

"Do as I say. If I say run, you use all your energy to escape. I don't care if they sever your arms and legs off. If I say fight, you either win or die trying. And If I say stop, then you do not let out another breath until I say so."

"You have our word my lord." Zariux said on his behalf as well as Sarkoth's.

"Good!" Ganon said almost with glee. "Then you have your orders. Gentlemen, let us prepare for the glory or a beautiful new world." The Dark King waved his hands and his minions were dismissed in the blink of an eye. The room changed, melting away by the mere will of the evil man. Where there was once a dark and bleak cave a heavy stone door stood, inlaid with wood and metal. Dark Link stood to the side, emotionless and cold. The sentry's eyes were fixed upon his master, but he did not move to hinder him in anyway. But his fist was clenched and the tension was still there.

With a swift nod, Ganon's smile was broad and vicious. His ego swelled and the doors swung open with unseen ease and strange quietness. The room inside was massive and barren, no furniture, no wall or ceiling, only a smooth round rotunda like room that seemed to be too natural to have been made, but too perfect and smooth to be unaided. A subtle and prominent light glowed and waned in darkness, green and pink for each second that passed. And in the center, a bed sat made of grey, cold stone with carvings and fixtures of strange and vicious looking animals. The sheets were satin, shimmering slightly in the dim illumination, and pristinely laid out. And, there in the bed laid Zelda, motionless with arms folded and breathing shallow.

Gannon's steps rang out in the room loudly, but the sound did not disturb the sleeping princess all the same. Softly, the Evil King sat on the beds edge, looking down with eyes that conveyed such ambition and amusement that he could barely contain from crying out in victory. He had murdered his adversary; he had conquered the only one who could have stopped him, and taken his most precious desire. Nothing could stop him, and now, he would conquer the kingdom again, and establish his dark empire. Reaching down, he caressed the princess face gently with his hand and laughed to himself quietly. All that was left now was to act with no opposition.

"Soon dearest princess, you and your realm will bend to my will. Beautiful."

(A Word From Your Humble Author)

It has been brought to my attention that a few of my authors thought I was misspelling Ganon's name. Previously it had been spelled "Gannon. After looking it up, there are two methods of spelling, the one "n" being the most commonly used, but the other also being used in a few different situations. However, given the fact that I'm trying to stick to the original as much as possible, I've begun to use only one "n" and I'll stay that way unless it really bothers a majority of my readers; because after all, it's really all for you guys. Also, I'm working on another Zelda project, which may devert some of my attetntion, but now that the holiday season is over, I should be able to keep updating. Thanks guys. Please read and review, and let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter 9 Light's Dusk

Legend of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 9

Light's Dusk

[This work is merely fan based, and is no way affiliated with Nintendo or any of its trademarked franchise of "Legend Of Zelda" or any characters there in. In short, please don't sue me.]

The sun and soft sheets of her bed felt warm and gentle on Zelda's skin. The groggy influence of sleep slowly began to lift. And then a sudden rush or realization snapped through her mind and she sat up so quickly that her covers were thrown away. She reached to her throat and found that neither fingers made of shadows held her, nor a strange man in exotic robes tortured her. She was in her room, not the Temple of Time, and the sun had already broken over the mountains. Impa then rushed into her room with all haste and stood deathly still.

"Princess! You must make haste. We have much to do. We must prepare for the ceremony, but before that we must meet with the other Sages. Come, your highness!"

"Impa?" Zelda said with confusion racking her mind. "What happened?" The look on her face told Zelda that she had no idea of what she meant. Unsure of anything anymore, the princess started anew. "Impa… did I leave anytime last night?"

"Leave? Not to my knowledge, Princess. Why?" Impa said with a quixotic look on her face.

"Nothing." Zelda returned quickly and rose from the bed. "Just a dream that's all." The floor was cold, despite the sunlight through the window, and the pit of her stomach felt like it was dropping right out from under her. The feeling of what now dismissed as a wayward dream had struck her in a way that no other nightmare had. Her dreams had often been troubled, but rarely had they been so painful or so… real.

"Your gown in prepared and ready, my lady. We shall attend to the council first. With all luck, we should be back to the castle with time to spare. However, I have left instructions that the ceremony be postponed should we be late. The Zora and Gorons will begin with their ceremony and entertainment, which should buy us enough time."

"Impa?" Zelda said, being rushed with all of these instructions. "Is something wrong?" Impa had never been this anxious at anytime that Zelda had known her. Even when Ganon had stormed the castle and they both ran for their lives, she had never so much as rushed a word. Now, it seemed like the anticipation had completely taken hold of her trusted guardian and friend.

"Yes, Princess, I only think that perhaps we should reconsider this. We're not removing a sword from a stone; what they sages are trying to do is meddling in the affairs that no mortal can oppose." The tone of the Sheikah's voice wavered for a moment, as if searching for the tone to convey, but concern was replaced with cold hollow sentiment.

"Something is wrong." Zelda said. She tried to clear her head, but her thoughts kept eluding her due to a subtle yet pulsing headache. "I… something happened at the temple… Is there any word of Link?" The young woman asked, obviously confused. Her mind was jumbled and every memory of last night seemed to be dimming away, at first dismissed as a dream, and now slowly being forgotten altogether. She couldn't be sure of anything anymore. Between the thought of becoming queen, and the meeting with the other sages, her concentration was scattered at best.

"What news of Link?" She asked again, looking up though a daze she couldn't seem to shake.

"There has been no word from him in years. I doubt we shall ever see him again." Impa's face contorted in a smirk or satisfaction, something of a smile with pure contentment.

"Impa! How dare you say such things? How could you possibly think that?!" But the princess's shock and query went unanswered as Impa's powerful and cold hand began pushing and motioning her quickly.

"We have pressing matters, Princess. We have no time to waste on silly whims."

Zelda was somewhat shocked at Impa's attitude. She was unsure of what to think, other than that something was off. Had the pressure finally gotten to Impa as it had her? She was unsure, but by the time she looked up, she was now in her private quarter.

"I shall return in a few moments, your Majesty. I hope you find the gown to your suiting. We must hurry if we are to keep our delicate schedule intact." Impa slipped from sight, closing the door behind her, leaving only more confusion as she did.

The young soon-to-be queen's head swam. She stood still while the world around her seemed to move for a moment. Maybe it had been a vision. Maybe it had been a dream or delusion caused by stress. Zelda was scared. She felt the anxiety in her chest, constricting her lungs, and causing her to gasp aloud. She found a chair and sat down for a moment, trying desperately to regain her composure.

Slowly, she slid her sleeping dress off and adorned her regal gown. The fabric was cool and light, almost cold despite the bright colors of white and gold that radiated from it. Today she would be crowned the sole ruler of the kingdom, but her heart and thoughts were elsewhere.

Impa returned as promised, and the two walked from the tower to the castle. The steps they took seemed odd, and the princess felt something looming behind her. All her senses kept telling her something was off, but when she turned around, all she ever saw was Impa, still half smiling. In silence, they continued until they came to the central chamber of the castle. Her royal guard was waiting, dressed in their ceremonial garb, standing at attention.

With their royal escort leading the way, they made began to walk to the council's chamber. There, the heads of states and nobles all smiled, but again, the feeling that something was wrong echoed in Zelda's heart. The faces were all seemingly emotionless, like the faces of dolls on a shelf. Their words came as kind and softly as they always had.

"How beautiful she looks."

"She's radiant."

"Our magnificent queen."

All these things were heard, yet rang false somehow. Zelda tried to smile and give her usual caring outlook to her subjects, but the unnerving eyes of her observers forced her vision to the ground. Slowly, she made her way towards the Speaker's Pedestal to address her subjects.

"My people," the beautiful young woman began. "I have had the honor and the privilege of serving as your princess these eight years. With the help of the magisters, and mostly, you, the subjects of this great land, we have strived hard to create a new age of peace and prosperity in Hyrule. I have heard many say that my late father would have been proud of me. I would like to think, instead, that he would have taken greater pride in his people and all of their efforts. " She took a deep breath.

"Our country should not be measured in the "strength" of its leader, but by the strength of its people and the prosperity that they enjoy. While it is with immense humility and honor that I become your queen, I want you all to know that I am not the power behind our kingdom; the people are the true rulers." She looked up, and while the smiles on the people's faces would have given her renewed hope and faith, their gaze was hollow and still disturbing.

"I hope that one day, I can be known as great a ruler as my father, and lead all of Hyrule into a time of hope and unity. May the Goddesses guide and protect us, always." She bowed low, and the applause came crashing in response. When she looked up, however, it seemed odd that the crowd seemed to move and act in a strange and eerie unison. It was almost as if they were actors, playing their parts on a grand scale.

Impa signaled the guards and again, they began their trek towards the coronation in town. However, they broke away, back to their tower, explaining that an urgent matter of security must be attended to. It was a clever and simple lie that no one looked too deep into, and had bought them an hour of time to convene with the sages. When the two had finished climbing the tower, they shut the door behind them tightly, and prepared for their journey.

"Very well princess, all things are prepared. I would like to voice my opposition again-" Impa began to say.

"Impa! I realize that you do not agree with my judgment, but I am tired of your prattling. I am aware of the risks, and I shall face them accordingly. I can take care of myself! Am I, or am I not, the Sage of Wisdom, and the Ruler of Hyrule?" Zelda snapped. For a moment she felt hot and irritated to her core, but after breathing for a moment she was shocked at her own actions. She was about to apologize to Impa, until she saw the look on her face. It was a smirk, one full of self vindication and satisfaction. It took her aback, and confusion began to overtake the young princess once again, along with a throbbing headache and a feeling of nausea.

"You are right, my lady. I should know better than to question your judgment." The Sheikah guardian apologized and bowed.

"I- I'm sorry too Impa. I shouldn't have lost my temper. I suppose it's… just the stress of the ceremony." Zelda's voice was a little weaker than normal. All her focus was being directed on not throwing up. The events of the night before seemed to be forgotten all together, now.

"Well, my queen," the Sage of Shadows' tone almost instantly changed from apologetic to light-hearted, "It's best not to dwell on things. We must hurry now. Please, open the way to the Temple of Light, and we shall be on our way."

"Yes…. you are right..." Zelda mused to herself, her mind in a daze. Slowly, the Princess touched the back of her right hand, making the Triforce symbol glow and resonate. For a moment, she thought she felt a pulse behind her, mirroring her call, but before she could turn to look, a corridor of light opened up in the small room, stretching into the unknown.

As the two stepped forward, Zelda thought she heard a strange voice behind her.

"Yes, Princess… I always am."


	11. Chapter 10 The Thief King Triumphant

Legend of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 10

The Thief King Triumphant

[This work is purely fan made and is no way affiliated with Nintendo or its trademarked franchise The Legend of Zelda™. I hope you enjoy it. Please review afterwards.]

The princess's disappearance was known only to the Sages themselves. Impa had awoken before the sun's rise and while she was anxious to face the day and its events, it had been quickly forgotten when she gazed upon the Princess's empty bed. It was not uncommon for the Zelda to be restless, but Impa knew every inch of the castle grounds, and within minutes, she quickly realized that her charge was nowhere to be had.

The summon Impa sent possessed such urgency that it seemed all of Hyrule stood still. Even though the hour was early, with barely any light to speak of, all the Sages met with little protest. The Temple of Light was filled, one by one, until all the protectors stood in their respective places. Impa began hastily to explain that Zelda was gone with no word as to where she may be. After some time, Impa spoke again.

"Does anyone know where she may have gone?" Impa said calmly, despite the unease she felt. "Did she not mention anything to anyone?" But all they could do was shake their heads.

"Perhaps she just went to clear her thoughts?" Ruto implied. "I cannot imagine how much pressure is on her. To become not only the leader of Hylians, but all of Hyrule as well… such a responsibility is beyond fathoming."

"Perhaps… but I feel that something is wrong." Impa's tone almost trailed off as she finished. It was not like Zelda to simply disappear on a whim, especially when her people and the kingdom itself counted on her.

"Princess Zelda is a wise young woman, but she is a bit of a free spirit. We do not yet know all the facts as to why she as gone, and for what reason." Rauru's voice was calm and comforting, something all of them needed at the moment.

"What do you suggest we do?" Saria asked in her soft and gentle tone.

"First, we should refrain from panicking. I would like to believe that Zelda is only doing what she feels she must at the moment. With that said, however, we should use our influences to obtain the location of the princess."

"Do…" Impa began, unsure of what she was saying. "Do you think, perhaps she went in search of Link?" Everyone turned to look at her. Everyone knew how important the hero was to them, and especially Zelda, but the thought that Zelda, the pillar of wisdom and virtue would simply drop all of her obligations was almost unthinkable.

"I cannot say for sure, Impa." Rauru said very delicately. "But, whatever has happened, we will soon discover it for ourselves."

While not leaving their positions in the temple, each sage used their powers over their realm to search for any sign of the princess. The hills of Hyrule were scoured by Darunia's mind for any steps and paths that Zelda may have created. All creatures of the water were connected to Princess Ruto, as were her people, yet no trace of the princess was found anywhere. Impa searched with all her power, entering the minds of all those in Kakariko Village and castle town, yet no one had seen the Princess Zelda or any of her guises.

Over an hour had passed and yet they were no closer to finding Zelda or they reason she was absent.

"Impa," Rauru said after a time with a very delicate tone. "We must make preparations for the kingdom. We must create the illusion that Zelda is safe and that things are well in hand, to prevent suspicion in the realm." Chaos was about to ensue amongst the Sages, but all was halted when a voiced echoed throughout the chamber.

"_That will not be necessary!_"

A doorway of light opened, and the young woman who all sought after stepped through onto her platform. Zelda bowed low and smiled.

"Princess Zelda!!" Impa cried with almost a sense of disbelief. "Where have you been?! We've all been so worried! We-" But she stopped suddenly. "Princess… what is the meaning behind your appearance?"

Zelda, finally feeling the cold air around her disperse and the pain in her head subside was just as confused as she had been. She had thought the sages would welcome her warmly, instead, Impa's had made it sound like she hadn't seen her for days.

"Impa? What do you mean where have I been? And what is wrong with the way I look?" Zelda questioned.

"Your dress, your hair, they're strange." Impa returned with a tone that suggested worry and equal confusion. Zelda examined herself, and a look of shock radiated from her.

Zelda found that she was not dressed in regal gown of gold and white, but rather of black and silver with gloves that covered her hands and a dark ribbon that held her hair in a way she had never used. But before she could speak in her defense, the voice rang out again.

"She does look quite stunning in black, doesn't she?" No one moved. No one spoke. Fear and despair seemed to permeate everyone. Disbelief had began to surface. But before anyone could muster the ability to act, wind and darkness spun across the chamber and finally dispersed next to where the princess stood.

A man stood, broad and proud amongst the others, his black armor and cape seemed to absorb all light around him. His bronze skin gleamed with a green hue and his smirk was something that unnerved everyone in the room. Everyone's worst fear had come to pass, and the man who should not be stood before them in their last bastion of safety. No one was more shocked than Zelda, who now could feel her whole body shaking at the sight of the Dark Lord.

"You all looked so… surprised. What's wrong? Didn't expect to see me so soon after our last get-together?" Ganon said, almost laughing through every word. "As I remember it though, last time, you all seemed to enjoy our previous encounter much more than I did. I suppose that's the difference between having the upper hand and defeat. You'll find I'm the one enjoying myself, today."

"It cannot be… Dragmire." Nabooru said with terror, something seen on fewer occasions than any could count.

"Hahaha. Only one woman ever called me by that name." The Evil King turned to look at his former second-in-command and grinned. "Ah, Nabooru, there you are. I see it didn't take you long to switch sides." Malice, while easily spoken, dripped from every word he spoke.

"I was never on your side!" The Spirit Sage retorted.

"So it would seem." He mused aloud. "But, that is why second chances are so exciting. They grant the ability to right the many wrongs that plague our past."

"You were the only mistake from the past." Ruto said boldly. Her grip tightened on her spear and she was poised to strike.

"Begone Demon King! You have no power here!" Rauru's tone was empowered and his command was one not of desperation, but of strength.

"Yes!! I will crush this hollow phantom with my _bare fists_!" Darunia threw himself from his pedestal towards Gannon before anyone could stop him. But the raw force of the Sage of Fire was halted by Ganon with one hand, stopped completely as if the massive Goron was nothing.

"I believe you'll find as power incarnate, there is nowhere I cannot go and nothing I can't do. And as you can see, I am no mere ghost from the past". His tone was calm and confident. Even though Darunia's clenched fists were huge compared to the relatively normal size of Ganon's , they could neither move nor crush the Evil King. Then the Goron King bellowed out in pain as Ganondorf squeezed with little effort, but breaking his assailants hand easily. No one could move to help their fellow Sage for fear of Ganon and the close proximity of Zelda.

"Now… if you are done," Ganondorf smiled and kicked the colossal sage aside with little more than a slight move. "I believe you were going to relinquish all power to me, after swearing fealty and allegiance to the true ruler of this kingdom."

"_**Never!"**_** c**ame the unified response. Zelda, finally moving of her own will, stepped to help the fallen Darunia.

"Nothing can be simple anymore, it seems." Gannon sighed, almost disappointed in being resisted. Rauru stepped forward, holding his hands out while a golden aura began to surround his body.

"Ganondorf, Evil King of Thieves! You will not move another inch in this sacred temple! Even with your command over the Triforce of Power, you cannot hope to defeat the combined strength of The Seven Guardian Sages and The Triforce of Wisdom. How you came to be here is of little consequence to us, but I command you to leave now or suffer our judgment." It seemed the very air of the temple shook with the power of light, but Ganon was not swayed. Infact, he began to laugh.

"You old fool! How do you expect to stop me? You have already shown that at best, you could only banish me, and even then, you failed! You have no ground to threaten me. And I suggest that you stay your tongue, lest you want me to bring down this temple and everyone in it." The threat of the monster, Ganon , was true. No one could challenge him, even in the last remnant of the Sacred Realm.

"We may not be able to stop you." Zelda said, her spirit being stirred at the sight of her enemy. "And you may dwarf us with you great power, we cannot contest that. But as long as even one sage remains, you will not control this world. And even if we all fail, you will never have the Triforce of Wisdom, and there will always be one that can defeat you. He has before, and he will again!"

"Oh, you mean your Hero of Time?" Ganondorf smiled and questioned. "Yes, well, I regret to inform you that he will be unable to rise against me due to illness: Rigor mortis. He's dead."

"You Lie!" Zelda cried out with fury. The symbol of the Triforce burned brightly on the back of her hand, despite being gloved in a black, shimmering fabric.

"How do you think I was able to come here? Why do you think your hero has not returned to save you?" Ganon's demented glee was barely containable. "Don't think he didn't try, either. He did return, much to even my surprise. I knew he would one day return, but his timing was sooner than I intended, but no matter. While I had intended to merely curse the Temple of Time to kill anyone who sought to draw that wretched blade from it, things rarely go as planned." Zelda's skin began to turn a light shade of red, and she could feel her anger growing.

"It is easy to tell a story, when you are the King of Lies." Saria said. She too could not believe that Link, the protector of Hyrule and her dearest friend could have been killed by one such as Ganon.

"Had Zelda actually stopped to see the true power at work, she would have seen that it was merely an illusion she chased through the streets of the town last night. But she was so willing to believer her long lost hero had come back to her. It was almost too easy for me to bear."

"So last night was no dream! It was you! You manipulated me into the temple." Zelda cried out in a rage.

"Of course it was me!!" Ganon shouted with delight. "And you played so into my hands. Had you paid even the slightest amount of attention, you would have seen right through me, instead you lead me straight here. I had expected more. But not all went smoothly. When my minions sought to merely capture you and force you to call the boy, something happened I had not intended. He was already here and answered you plight accordingly."

"He was… he came back?" Zelda said through her anger.

"Mmm, yes. Something I had not anticipated. But, as I said, it was of no consequence. You were easily detained, and Link killed when he tried to take that damned sword." The Evil Lord's tone seemed to be saturated with elation.

"_I don't believe you!!" _Zelda screamed at the top her lungs.

"You should, little princess. I would never lie to you. However, I realize my credibility is less than impeccable. Perhaps you should visit the temple yourself. I believe you'll see that I made a rather artful statue with his broken remains. Quite tasteful, if I may say so."

"Shut up!!" Zelda threw a spell out of haste and fury at Gannon. The magic lacked focus, however and was easily cast aside by the Sorcerer King. The formless energy collided with the blue, water-like ground, sending debris, dust, and energy everywhere. Amidst the confusion, Rauru took action. Grabbing Zelda by the hand, the old sage teleported her away, sending the dust and smoke swirling as they left.

Waiting for the debris to clear, Ganon stood smiling, assured of his victory and pleased that he had disturbed Princess Zelda as deeply as he did. Sensing that she had teleported from the chamber, he could still sense her close, and found it all very amusing.

"Hiding, I see. Take heart princess, even though your hero may have perished, I am still here for you. Now, come out and submit to your rightful king." Ganondorf began to step from the center of his room to where the Princess once stood, but quickly saw that the remaining sages stood together, defiant. Even Daruina, injured as he was, returned to his feet to fight against the Evil King.

"You will not harm the Princess. We will die defending her, if we must." Impa unsheathed her long, exotic knife from behind her and prepared to stand her ground, futile as it was. The other sages prepared to do the same, determined to do what they must.

"You're all fools. How can you hope to defend your leader if you cannot even defend your own domains?" While the sages did not speak out, they were unsure what he meant. "I can see you think I placed all my resources into coming here? You're all predictable imbeciles. While you sit here and prattle away, hoping to deter me, I've already won."

"You think I haven't planned every move?" Ganon seemed to lose a bit of his calm repose. "I've had only time and ambition as my company for a lifetime. I was merely toying with you in my first rise to power. I underestimated you all. Something I shall not do again. I sought to destroy your power by destroying you… I see that the time for tact is past. Instead, I shall undo you power by obliterating everything you hold dear. The forests will burn, with waters will boil, the mountains will crumble, and the sands will consume." Laughter exploded from him, his victory seemed set in stone.

"As for the people… Well, they will suffer as they never have before. The fairy children, the fish people, the rock men, the Hylians, even the Guerdo will be consumed by my wrath. I will stamp out every spark of life from this miserable world, and on its crumbled ashes, I will build a new, dark paradise."

"You're insane." Impa said through clinched teeth. "We'll never let that happen."

"It already has. My puppets are already in place… infact…" the evil man withdrew a small purple crystal from his armor and showed it to them. "It has already… begun!" The crystal pulsed, and as if some tangible thing had swept over the sages, they all trembled and felt their bodies racked with pain. Ganon only smiled wider. "Hurry, and run back to your people, little sages. Maybe you will be able to bid them farewell before they die."

The five remaining guardians knew he spoke the truth. Whatever he had planned, it was working, and they could feel the very domains they ruled over crying out in agony. Saria felt such pain she practically collapsed. Ruto sensed as if the very blood in her veins turned to steam, and Darunia too felt his realm suffering. Impa too could sense that Kakariko was under attack. Telepathically, they all knew Ganon had won the moment. And they would be forced to retreat or die in vain against the Thief King.

They spoke in each other's mind. Unanimously, they agreed that there was little they could do. Even Impa, sworn to protect Zelda with her life, knew that there was nothing she could do, other than try and save the people. She hated herself for having to fall back, but knew there was no other choice.

"You win for the moment, you bastard. But this isn't over." Impa pointed her knife at the Dark King.

"Oh, I beg to differ. Now scurry away, lest I send your bodies to decorate your temples." In the same pulses of light they had arrived in, the sages dispersed, frightened of what lay in store for them.

Meanwhile, Rauru and Zelda warped to an unseen portion of the temple. It was darker, with water falling all around them, but very light, completely unlike any other part of the temple. Zelda felt her heart breaking. Her spirit was fractured. She hoped against hope that Link was still alive, that he would still come for her, but ever since she had come to, she had felt like something was wrong. Something in Ganondorf's words rang true to Zelda, and she could feel her eyes burning. Without Link, there was no hope of defeating Ganon. She knew this. All that was left was to fight how they could, and wait for the end.

Rauru stood boldly, huffing at the extent of his powers. So far away from his rightful place and element, he could feel the taxing of his spiritual essence. He looked at Zelda and could see she was ready to collapse, but he could not afford to have her break down.

"Princess, come to it! We must hurry! Quickly, I have prepared this place for the removing incantation." The Sage of Light placed his hands together, and the floor became illuminated with drawings and intricate patterns. "We must hurry. If Ganon captures you, he could force you to serve him, or obtain the Triforce by any way he can."

"But- Rauru," Zelda said, fighting back tears. "We need its power, more than ever. We must escape and begin to prepare against him. And without the other Sages, how could we even hope to control the Triforce?"

"We must try! He must not get the golden power! Now stand on the circle! I do not know how long the others can hold him." Something was coming over him. His voice was not that of a wise old man, but becoming raspy and dire.

"No! I won't let them sacrifice themselves meaninglessly. We cannot hope to defeat him as we are now, but if gather out strength, maybe we can slow him down. We must find out what happened to Link!"

"There's no time!! As the eldest Sage I order you to help me! And if you must die to secure the Triforce away from Ganon's evil, then you must do so as a Sage and as Hyrule's Queen!" The old man shouted, and his face began to pale and sink.

"What are you saying Rauru? You would have me die, all so that the Triforce of Wisdom can be removed? What good will that do? Even if you hide it away, he will find it and when he does, he will destroy Realm of Light." Zelda began to draw away.

"I will take the Goddess's power into me. I will couple it with my power of light and with it… I will smite Ganon from the land!"

"You- You never intended to hide the Triforce of Wisdom. You wanted it for yourself… but… _why?!" _Zelda shouted in desperation. She could hardly believe it. Was she still in her nightmare? The villain from her deepest fears had returned, more powerful than ever. She had helped him, unknowingly enter their only remaining stronghold. And now, a man she had considered like a father, who she trusted, had told her that her life was now meaningless, and that he desired her power.

"As commander of the Light, I order you one last time to take your place and _give me the Triforce, NOW!"_ Rauru began to rush at Zelda, now almost completely driven into frenzy. But he stopped suddenly, held by unseen hands.

"You lost your power over the light long ago, old man." Ganon stepped from the shadows, standing triumphant between the old man and the Princess.

"No… this can't be happening. _THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!"_ Zelda's voice shook and she began to cry. Her sobs only seemed to bring the world she had come to know crashing down around her. Link was dead, the sages were powerless, worse, one of them was a traitor seeking only the golden power. "Why, Rauru?! Tell me why!!"

"Yes, Old Rauru. Tell her why you hate her so." Ganon waved a hand, and the old man was lifted into the air, effortlessly restrained. Slowly he turned his head to look at the princess, tears running down her face, and all he could feel was disdain.

"I was a monk… to the first royal family. I read and assembled every legend of the Goddesses and the Sacred Realm. I dedicated my life to it. I even oversaw the construction of the Temple of Time! Through much effort, I stumbled into the Sacred Realm using unknown magicks and arts never wielded. I sacrificed my very body to find the Triforce. And when I finally did, I could not grasp it. Instead, it chose me to be the first Sage, and guardian of Light. I constructed this place over countless lifetimes, watching Hyrule grow. I thought that if I proved myself, the Triforce would grant me its power, and I could lead the Realm into a golden splendor, with me as its new ruler." The old man's words rasped out like abrasive bile. Then he screamed like a mad man, filled with hatred and contempt.

"Instead I watched as I was all but forgotten. I had to wait until a boy, _a boy_, chosen by the Goddesses to open the door and free me. But instead, the Triforce scattered in front of my very eyes! It chose a mere conjurer filled with greed, and two children to be its avatar. It's not right. _It's not fair!"_ He screamed as all the temple shook with his outrage. "It should have been me!! I sacrificed everything to spend an eternity of service to the Golden Power, and I was cursed to never leave the place. _It is MINE!! THE GOLDEN POWER SHOULD BE MINE!!"_

"You were too weak to wield the power. The Triforce knew it. You were a cowardly old man who had neither the wisdom now the strength to be a vessel of the god's power. It knew this, and stuck you in a musty prison for all eternity." Zelda continued to cry. She closed her eyes, not wanting to believe any of this was real. She tried to make herself wake up. To make this all just go away. But it was no use.

"I sensed your greed and anger the moment I stepped into the Golden Land. I, the mere 'conjurer' knew who you were from the start. I am the Demon King Ganon! All evil answers to me and me alone. I knew your intentions before even you did. And while I applaud you for your sly actions, I can have no usurpers in my world." Ganon, waved his hand, and a trident, grand and daunting was conjured from nothing. Its pole was polished black, gleaming even in the darkness, and atop the shaft, three prongs made of some unknown, dull material seemed to wisp in and out of existence.

"Now die."

Every sound seemed to be muted. Zelda's eyes were almost forced open as she saw Rauru's body impaled on the evil weapon. The old man's body stayed in the air for just a moment after it was withdrawn from his chest, but soon he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Blood slowly oozed from the once sage, and the illuminated runes on the ground dimmed and then faded away. Zelda heard a scream that pierced the air around her, and caused her body to shudder. She didn't know it was her mouth that was open and her voice that shirked with despair.

Ganon Laughed. His thick, dark howling blitheness seemed to taint every inch of the temple as the death of its keeper dimmed all light that once radiated through it. Zelda crumpled onto the floor, and all was dark. It was as if everything stopped. But despite this, she could feel two strong arms take her up, cradling against someone, and words that seemed to pierce the vale.

"Come, your highness. It's time to address the subjects."

It was nearly noon, the sun hung high in the sky, and yet no one in the kingdom had heard from their Princess. Impa had departed rather quickly herself, leaving instructions that if she and the Princess had not returned; the ceremony was to be postponed while the festivities and entertainment were to proceed.

No one truly knew when the coronation was to occur, so when the order was given that the entertainment was to commence, no one questioned it. The Goron fire and earth mages put on a grand performance, manipulating the flame and rocks into characters. The images fought and then portrayed as becoming one, such was the legend of the first Gorons. The Zoras too put on a display using rain and water manipulation, showing how all life was tied to one another, and how the royal family was to be the leader of this new fate. The reclusive Guerdo preformed acrobatic and daring stunts and feats of agility. Each display was equally impressive, and everyone enjoyed the distractions.

The people were in awe, amazed and laughing most of the time. However, they all eagerly awaited their new Queen and the ceremony that would follow. But, as far as anyone could see, the royal guard was without the Princess, and confusion began to spread. Eventually, an hour had passed and the crowd began to grow restless.

"You don't think she's ill, do you?"

"Perhaps she isn't to be crowned today. Maybe this is just a day of celebration."

"No!" Someone shouted. "I have a friend in the court and they told me today was _the day!"_

"Did she run away?"

"Our princess? Never!"

And so, it went for nearly another hour. Speculation began to grow, and voices began to become more and more frequent in question. Eventually, the people began a chant that started low and began to catch on until nearly all the attendants, Goron, Zora, Human, Kokiri and Hylian alike chanted "Queen Zelda!"

Then, with a burst of light, a man stood upon the coronation platform, his dark red cloak swaying in the wind and his black armor shining in the sun. He appeared to be a Guerdo, but he was a man, and taller than any person in the crowd. His fiery red hair was swept back, and a smile beamed from his face.

"Who are you?!" Several people called out from the crowd in unison. The question provoked an irresistible urge that the man had to answer.

"Good people, I am but a wizard." The man waved his hand and a ball of light suddenly materialized. The man rolled it between his hands, gently swaying it from one way to the next. To the amazement of the crowd he would occasionally toss it in the air and manipulated it with an unseen force. Finally he stopped, and began again.

"I know you are all anxious to see your new ruler!" The crowd cheered in acknowledgement. "I know that you all have waited a long time to see the true leader of the realm take their rightful place." He moved his hands and orb climbed into the air and erupted into colorful sparks and smoke. Again the crowd cheered at the splendor. "Yes, dear people of Hyrule, I know that you crave a strong leader! You seek a monarch who will completely change this world for the better." The people exploded in approval.

"Yes friends, well, I have good news. That day is today!!" Raising his arms, the wizard levitated into the air and all were astonished at his command of illusion. "Today, you all get to see the start of a new world! A _better world!_" All fell silent, watching as the man rose in the air, commanding the attention of all who were there. "And, dear people, you will be the first to witness these changes. It will all start with you!" The congregation of people screamed and shouted their applause.

"**Today, all will bow to their true ruler. **_**THE DARK KING GANON HAS RETURNED!!!"**_

A pillar of light, immense and magnificent covered the area. People thought it was a miracle heralding the coronation of the new queen. However, the light soon turned to shadow, and an explosion shook the world to its very core. Then all was silent and dark.


	12. Chapter 11 Rebirth Redemption

Legend of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 11

Rebirth Redemption

[This work is purely fan made and is no way affiliated with Nintendo or its trademarked franchise The Legend of Zelda™. I hope you enjoy it. Please review afterwards.]

His body was numb. He was floating though the endless void, with no sense of time or feeling. It could have been seconds or years that passed, or no time at all. There was only darkness and space that surrounded him. He didn't and couldn't open his eyes to see it; he didn't have to. But there was something close by, something warm, something soft.

"Link. Link can you hear me?" His eyes wouldn't open. He wasn't sure if he was hearing anything at all. Was he Link? Was he anything?

"Link…" it called again. "Link, please say you can hear me." He struggled to part his lips. They were so heavy and unresponsive, he wasn't sure they were part of him at all.

"Who are you?" He had no voice. It was formless but all around. Something may have laughed, he couldn't be sure. It was like a gentle ringing, like soft chimes in the distant wind.

"You have a choice to make Link. You were brave. You were strong. You were chosen and you never faulted, not once. Now, you can rest or you can return."

"Return? Return to where?"

"To where you are needed, Link. But only if you choose to do so." Everything seemed so far away. He was tired, if he felt at all. And now, it seemed almost impossible to move. Nothing really mattered anymore, if anything ever did. "I-…" he tried to say.

"You must choose quickly, time is always ticking away, and soon it will be too late."

"I… don't know. I think I'll just stay for a moment…"

"She is calling to you."

"Calling… who?" There seemed to be a flash and he saw something, if only for just a moment. "Zel-… I think I know."

"Soon, her time will run out. Do you wish to help her?"

"I must go. Send me back, now." All around him seemed to be getting heavier. He was not floating any more, but falling.

"Is this your choice?"

"It is." There was a jolt of pain.

"Then go with my blessing."

"Wait! Who are you?"

"…I love you…"

The Temple of Time stood still. No mystical chants were heard, no warm feeling remained, and the light ceased to pour through the windows.

An ebon statue, stood still, defiant and alone. Frozen in strife, it face was so intense; one could hardly believe it to be a statue at all, but the eyes we smooth and empty. In its chest, a jagged stone shard jutted outward, so dark that it seemed to suck in all light around it. A symbol of three golden triangles burned on the back of its hand brightly.

Then a crack was heard, small, like a splintering of something unseen. A small source of light shone throughout the stone temple. A small fissure had opened at the corner of the statue's eye. Another cracking sound and more breaks began to surface on the statue's face. After a moment, the figure began to crack all over, his hands, feet, and head showing the most damage. Then a cry rang out, bloodcurdling and full of agony, filling the sanctuary with its horrible sound. The statue began to break apart, revealing the boy whom was thought dead. Finally, shedding his lifeless husk, he collapsed upon the floor, racked with pain and gasping for air.

Link's body felt as thought it was tearing itself apart while under enormous pressure from all around. He was barely able to move, and soon discovered that his legs wouldn't and couldn't move. Every time he tried to shift, his body nearly exploded with pain. Blood covered his chest and he kept spitting and coughing up more. The black shard has severed his spine and was killing him ever more. Link forced himself against the stairs and lifted his arms with great agony.

He wrapped his left hand around the base of the black thing and instantly he thought he would black out from the torment. Every sense was clouded about him, filled only with excruciating pain, and yet he forced himself to pull, despite every nerve in his body feeling like it was split by a hot knife. The scream of anguish that escaped seemed to burst his ears and rang over every corner of Hyrule. He felt the shard tear from his flesh and rip away with ever greater suffering until finally he finally tore the cursed thing from his body and cast it away.

So much blood had been lost and so much pain endured, Link was barely conscience. He thought perhaps that he had been brought back to merely die again. He eyes would focus out and grow dim, then re-focus, and his body kept feeling like it was rocking back and forth on the ocean. His breath came in jagged gasps, unable to maintain a steady pace. He feared that the second chance was wasted, but hope had not extinguished. He heard a voice, faint, unsure if it was real or not, but he heard it all the same.

"Take the sword. It is the only thing that can keep you alive, now."

Link, against the pain and fatigue, drug his body up the granite steps with great effort. Each step was like a new level of hell, and he kept thinking that any moment, his body would tear itself to pieces and he would have to continue without limbs. Stopping to heave more blood from his mouth, Link finally reached the pedestal which housed the Master Sword. Almost collapsing from exhaustion and pain, Link leaned against the blade, feeling like a small current of electricity pulsed through him. Using the last reserves of strength, the young man reached up to grasp the hilt.

Light burst forth from the blade, and timed seemed to stop. The light was hot but soothing, and link felt his eyes close and breathing slow and calm. He no longer tasted blood as prominently, and he was able to breathe in a steady pace. Slowly he stood up, using the Master Sword to bolster his weak and neigh useless legs.

The insignia of the Triforce burned brightly on Link's hand, and he felt the strength in his body return somewhat. While his boy was still in a great amount of pain, he could move without fear of passing out. Feeling the power return to him renewed his spirit, and his resolve. Bracing himself as best he could, Link placed both his hands on the hilt and prayed that it would still find him worthy to be its master.

"I desire the ability to protect Hyrule. I need the ability to protect my friends. I want to protect her!" Link's resolve grew and with all his strength, he pulled the sword from its pedestal. The light shined again, brighter this time, but flowing not only from the Master Sword, but from his body as well. Again he felt the heat and power flow through his body.

The hole in his chest was still open but the bleeding has stopped considerably. His body had been saved, to some extent, but he was not completely healed. His legs still wobbled and felt numb, but they were moving slightly. And that was enough.

"Zelda is in danger… I must warn the sages." Link closed his eyes and focused, calling upon the powers of the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword. "Allow me passage into the Temple of Time, please." Again, the symbol of the Triforce glowed brilliantly on Link's hand and the Master Sword seemed to vibrate and hum at its master's call. On his request, a corridor of light, similar the Sage's power opened and the Hero of Time limped slowly through, leaving the Temple of Time as quiet and still as a few moments ago, but noticeably brighter than before.

He stepped upon the pedestal in the center of the Temple of Light. The symbol of the Triforce, which lay on the ground, flashed a bit in response to his arrival, and then fell dark once more. The temple was noticeably darker, and signs of a struggle with brute strength and magic had been fought here. Link felt uneasy, who could have found the temple other than the sages? Suddenly, the hopes of aid and unified friends seemed to evaporate in the new atmosphere. Link at first felt nothing, but then a faint presence, weak and fading from somewhere else in the temple.

Again, the young hero asked for guidance from the Triforce and his powerful blade, and again he was answered. But this time, the temple itself met his desire, seeming to use what little light was left to open a portal to whatever he felt. When the boy stepped through it, he found himself in a strange part of the temple, pitch black and seemingly evil. The young man lifted his sword with a shaky hand, causing the blade to produce a soft blue light that illuminated the strange chamber. At first, Link saw nothing, only emptiness, until he noticed something on the floor. As he made his way over, cautiously, he found that it was actually Rauru, lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Rauru!" Link exclaimed as he hobbled quickly to the fallen Sage. Kneeling down as fast as he could, he found the old man still breathed, however shallow. Link saw the massive gash on his chest and realized that he was mortally wounded. "Rauru, what happened here?!"

"Ganondorf… came. He manipulated… the princess with… illusions. He followed her here…" The old man's gasps were ragged. Blood covered him and Link could sense that his "death" was near, despite the fact he was little more than a spirit. "We… tried to… I tried… to take the… Triforce from… Zelda."

"What!?" Link shouted. "Why would you do something like that, Rauru?" Link could hardly believe what he was hearing from the old man.

"I… wanted the power… for… myself." Shock and anger seethed from the Hero of Time. There were few that Link did not trust, and Rauru was always thought to be one of the most pure and noble people in the realm. The thought of betrayal from a Sage was almost unthinkable. "Ganon stopped… me… he stabbed me… with his-" Rauru paused to cough up blood and sank back against the floor.

"What happened to Zelda, Rauru? _Where is she!?" _ Link grabbed the old sage's robes and shook him with anger. He knew that Zelda needed his help, but he never considered that it was from one of the Sages.

"Ganondorf… took her…" The old man choked out. His breathing was now even slower. Link released his grip and let the old man fall to the floor almost violently.

"Then I'm going after them." Link began to stand up when Rauru spoke in an almost curious tone.

"You… don't want to know about… the Triforce?"

"Well, you obviously didn't get your hands on it. If you had, you wouldn't have so easily over taken, and Ganon would've had no use for Zelda if you succeeded." Link sneered. He began to step away when a drop of blood from the wound in Link's chest fell onto the former Sage of Light's hand.

"You're wounded…" He said ever softer.

"Yes. Ganon got to me too. He ambushed me before I could get the Master Sword. I let my guard down." Link said with a bitter tone. "I will not do so again, even with those who would claim to be our allies."

"Then… let me… help you… as my… last… act." The dying man pleaded.

"Why should I?!" Link shouted. "You betrayed you position as a Sage and as our friend! By betraying the princess, you betrayed me as well." Link stood over the dying man, and saw that tears were welling in his eyes, but he was still unmoved.

"I am free… of that… terrible greed. That… envy that poisoned… me."

"So you say. How do I know this is not just some trick? Some, desperate act of a dying man?"

"Stab me… with the Master… Sword." Rauru said, barely above a whisper. "It will purify what is… left of my… spirit. I will… use what little power… I have left to… heal you as… best I can…" The old man's rasps were growing further apart. "I am… done for. Let me… at least go… with some honor."

Link thought this over for a moment. He could not trust the "sage's" words, but he knew he could not go much longer without healing. He had little choice. He could either collapse and wake up hours, perhaps even days later, still as weak as he was; or did he dare take Rauru's offer and risk it on the traitor's bargain.

"I swear Rauru, if you speak false, you will wish Ganon had never left you for dead." And as quickly as he spoke, Link plunged the Master Sword into Rauru's stomach. The elder sage gasped aloud, not from pain, but from shock. The look on his face as he breathed his last was one of peace and gratitude.

The old man's body shined with light, brilliant and pure. Slowly, he faded from his body, breaking apart like shadows in light and finally fading out for good. Link closed his eyes and felt the light embrace his body. Entering his mind, Link and Rauru met again, whole and honest.

"I'm sorry Link… for everything." Rauru said, his form surrounded by light.

"I am not the one you wronged, Rauru. It is the Princess and the other Sages as well. You betrayed our trust. For that, I am unsure if you can ever find peace." Link's voice was somber and firm. "It is one thing for Ganon to lie and deceive. He never claimed to be honest. You, however were known as a friend. Your treachery runs deeper than any evil."

"I know, young hero. I know… but I hope that with my last act, by helping you, it may grant me some form of absolution."

"Perhaps," Link said, unsure of anything. "I hope that it is enough… for your sake." The old man nodded in solemn understanding. Link began to turn away; ready to face whatever evils lay before him. But, before he could leave, Rauru called out.

"Wait, Link. Is it… meaningless to apologize?" Link did not turn around, only looked down and sighed.

"No… I don't think so. Not if you really mean it." The Hero said, thinking back to all he had done, both knowingly and unintentionally.

"Then, tell the Princess…. I am sorry. With all my heart, I am sorry. I only hope it is enough for both you and her." Link turned and walked slowly towards the former Sage. Holding out his hand, Rauru embraced it with his, and the Triforce glowed even brighter.

"Rest well, old friend. I hope that it is enough as well." Rauru again had tears in his eyes.

"May the Goddesses protect you, Link." And with that, all signs of the Sage of Light were gone. Link stood alone in the room, now empty and dark. His wounds healed, but still scarred. His arms and legs were no longer heavy, his body no longer ached with every move, and Link felt as empowered as he did when he first took the Master Sword on his first journey. But the cost was high, and now a friend and Sage were gone. Whatever was to come, Link knew it would be terrible. Ganon would have no mercy, and Link would have to fight with everything he had and more.

"I need to return to Hyrule." Link commanded. He focused on the Temple of Time, and the corridor of light once again opened for him. Taking another look around, he saw that he was alone, the temple was empty, and the light was gone. Stopping for a moment, The Hero of Time exhaled and stood still for only a moment.

"Goodbye old friend." Stepping through the corridor, Link bid one last farewell to both the temple and the man that housed him safely for seven years of his life so long ago.

[Author's Note: I apologize everyone for the sudden rush of work. It's been written and kinda broken down as I've gone along. Any ways, I hope you've all enjoyed my work so far. I'll try and continue as much as I can. If you did like it please write a review, and if you didn't, please tell me why, and how you think the story could be better. Also I apologize for the comma splices and spelling errors. These got edited once over somewhere near an hour span]

[[-Yours, Maverick Hunter Matt]]


	13. Chapter 12 Nightmare Highground

Legend of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 12

Nightmare Highground

[Disclaimer: This work is purely fan based. This story and its author are in no way affiliated with Nintendo or its trademarked franchise "The Legend of Zelda". Please review after reading, as I appreciate and respect my reader's feedback.]

Once upon a time, the kingdom of Hyrule was lush and beautiful. It was the epitome of tranquility and serenity, where lush forests grew, clear water ran, and the sky was so blue that even the clouds themselves seemed lighter. There, people of all various races lived in harmony, with little to bother them. That peace was solidified with the worship of the three Goddesses and their realm, which housed their power. The artifact of their strength, the Triforce, was known to all, and revered as a beacon of light. But then, one day, something changed…

For some unknown reason, be it greed, or paranoia, or ambition, the Golden Power was sought for the greatness it could bestow. No one knew who started it, but soon all the people of Hyrule found themselves drawn into open war with one another. Gorons, Zora, Guerudo, and Hylian fought for dominance over the Golden Realm and the power it held. Thus began the first Triforce War and it was terrible by all accounts.

After many years, though, it seemed that Hylians would be victorious. However, there was discord among the young race. Eventually, they stood divided, and the various regions and tribes that had once made up the seemingly unstoppable band of people broke apart, each vying for complete and total control. That war, the war among the Hylians, lasted for generations.

The realm of Hyrule was ravaged, as entire towns were burned and razed until nothing remained. Just when it seemed that the Hylians would destroy themselves, the ruler of the oldest and most powerful family took action. Knowing that only oblivion lay on the horizon for his people and all of Hyrule, should a mortal obtain the power of the Gods, the man ordered the entrance sealed and the keys scattered to the ends of the land. And so it was, that peace was brought to the kingdom, the people of it unified under one banner, and the Triforce protected with a seal while being hidden by a temple built to stand for all times.

But the damage had been done; the kingdom of had been devastated, and spent over a decade recovering from the war. Despite the fresh wounds, things did seem to return to peace. However, it was only a glimpse of what awaited. The Triforce did fall into mortal hands, and dark ones at that. The evil lord, Ganondorf, made his way into the Golden Realm and obtained the Triforce of Power, and fulfilled his wish of total dominance over the realm. And when the dust had cleared, the world had suffered for it terribly.

What remained of the Hylians was scattered at best, hiding and eking out and existence where they could and taking refuge in a town here and there. Everyone else swore allegiance to the new "King" of Hyrule or was killed quickly. Everything that remained was a dark hollow shell of what it once was, or obliterated. The sky darkened, the forests withered, the waters dried, and all hope seemingly died…. That was the first time, in another life…

But this time it was different…

Nothing could compare to the carnage that was revealed to the Hero of Time when he stepped out of the temple. What remained of the city burned and smoldered and the rest was merely an empty void of charred ashes. It hit Link hard because not only was it like a bad nightmare that had come back, this time Zelda had been captured with no way to know if she was still alive. Of all the defeats that had been suffered by Ganon's hand, this had been the most demoralizing.

He made his through the city, still burning and smoldering, his sword unsheathed. It was terrible, the destruction wrought by Ganon, but Link was unaware just how devastating it was until he reached the once proud and beautiful plaza of the city. Where people had once anxiously stood, a crater of immolation cut deep into the earth. It seemed that most people had been instantly destroyed, as the few corpses that littered the ground were spaced far apart. It hurt the young hero deeply to know that these people had no chance to defend themselves, and those who were not killed instantly were struck down ruthlessly. All the while, the thought that yet again, Link's actions had led to the chaos his nemesis created weighed heavily upon him.

Slowly, he continued through the ruined city until he found himself at the Inn that provided him a refuge. Once, it had been a sturdy structure of mortar, now only a blackened skeletal frame stood like a grave. He stood still for a moment, remembering how it was only a short time ago. The man who had so generously tended to him was gone. Link had hoped that he had escaped Ganon's hateful attack and found safety somewhere with the others. He prayed that most of the people had avoided being completely obliterated by the Dark Lord and escaped to somewhere safer, but something inside told him it was unlikely. Ganondorf was not one to show mercy, not when he stood unopposed.

At first Link examined what remained of the building, gauging if it might collapse, but he slowly made his way through the ashes. His steps caused the burnt fragments of stone, glass, and wood to crackle and break apart into ashes, while every step caused him a little more regret. His nostrils filled with ash, smoke, and the smell of immolation. After stopping where he believed his room once had been, he kneeled down and began shifting though the ashes. After a few moments, the dust and soot caked his hands, but he found his satchel, unscathed and unscorched. It weighed almost nothing compared to the burden of the hero's regret, and he slung it over his shoulder.

Some wood and stone crumbled from a building further down the alley, and a growl erupted from the ground, followed by scraping sounds of metal plates against stone. The Master Sword began to pulse and Link knew at once he was no longer alone. A figure rounded the corner, armored and lop sided, like a sickly old man, but his shambling movements were erratic and gruesome. The smell of death overcame the odor of burning wood and stone, and bone rattled against steel. It was if a man had been stripped of all his skin, with only rotting pieces of muscle and gore clinging to his bones, and was being controlled like a puppet with no emotion, save for its eyes. Red orbs of pure malice roamed about the empty sockets, searching for anything it could kill.

A Stalfos Knight.

When it turned to face the remains of the inn, it saw only remnants of buildings and smoldering flames. The sword it clasped in its skeletal hand drug the ground and scathed the stones with the rusted and corroded tip. The evil bone warrior shambled further to where the ashes seemed to be disturbed slowly, feeling nothing except the urge to seek out life and destroy it to sate its own lust for destruction.

Its burning eyes spied the print of a boot in the rubble before a whistle pierced the still air. Caught in the burning socket, the husk spun around with the force of the attack, swiping madly on dark instinct. Just as its footing was regained, a flash of light gleamed in the dreary light as Link pulled his sword from its magnificent scabbard. The stalfos raised its own deteriorating blade in defense, only to realize the feint for what it was. Swiftly, the Hero of Time spun low and slashed at the lifeless shell, easily separating its lower legs from the rest of its body. As it toppled backwards, the bones and steel armor clattered to the cobblestone road.

While a monster such as this could not show signs of shock or fear, it had no time to react, as the tip of the Master Sword plunged through the skull of the dark soldier, and that was the end of it. The red lights faded out from the empty eyes, and the evil forces that held the construct of bones together dissipated, leaving them to crumble and scatter.

Standing over his fallen foe, Link stood at the ready, waiting to strike in case the undead stalfos rose again, as he had seem them do on occasions. After what seemed like several minutes, Link sheathed his weapon behind his back and shouldered his satchel and bow cautiously. Knowing that more evil soldiers could be lurking, Link began to move… when he noticed something about the armor of the fallen stalfos.

The rust and the grime that had accumulated on the suit almost engulfed every inch of it, but upon further inspection, the silver and the blue hues gleamed dully. It was the armor given exclusively to the royal guard. Link, however, was perplexed as to how the armor, while sturdy and strong, could have been nearly consumed so quickly by corrosion and also how the animated corpse could have the sentience to strip a fallen knight of his armor, and why he would want to.

Then, Link realized something horrible. He knew why he hadn't many corpses, especially of the Hyrulian Guard. While most had undoubtedly been destroyed, the others suffered a worse fate. The stalfos that had just been defeated was not some evil husk summoned from the depths, it was a Knight of Hyrule, denied the peace of death to serve the very person who ended his life.

He hadn't noticed it, but his fists we clinched, his body shook with rage, and his teeth were bared with savage realization. Link had never felt such contempt for anything his whole life, but anger burned in his chest. Ganon was always malicious, he was always evil, and cruelty was nothing new, but this was a completely new level of villainy. While detestable, Ganon had always swiftly killed those who opposed him, now that was not enough, anymore, it seemed. His depravity would only be satisfied when everything in the world wallowed in eternal anguish and suffering, serving under his iron fist.

"Rrrrrrgh **GANNON**!!!" Link shouted, his fury echoing through the empty streets. Instantly, it was if what remained of the city stirred at the broken silence. As if it lurched, the ruins began to vibrate slightly, almost pulsing. The sound could be felt through the ground and heard in the air, and Link knew what it was instantly. Something was marching ever closer. In the distance, he heard clamoring, louder and more disorganized than before.

Quickly realizing the error of his anger, Link began to climb what sturdy frames of buildings remained, stumbling rarely, while scaling as silently as possible. As he reached the top he took in what he could, while trying to keep his hatred and shock under control. The sky had turned dark and red, not just from the fire that had engulfed the city, but from the evil blight that spread outward. The source of this evil chokehold was obvious, an immense black citadel that hovered in the air, high above the city. Like déjà vu, Link closed his eyes for a moment, praying to the goddesses that this was all some sort of nightmare. This dark fortress, however, was different from the floating tower that the Hero of Time stormed in another lifetime. This structure was even more menacing, it seemed to fade into existence and then out again, spinning like a top, and spreading a dark cloud that choked all light from the world.

But the terrifying awe was broken by the sound again. Link saw that an entire legion of stalfos was marching in the streets, roaming and patrolling, numbering well into the hundreds. Link's eyes narrowed, and saw not only stalfos but the withered "re-dead" as well. Some were armored, some wore only clothes, a mockery of the people they were before forced into solitude. Some carried spears and swords while others carried sticks, or flails, or clubs, and some had only their claw like hands to fight. Civilians and knights, once living people of Hyrule, were now macabre soldiers in Ganon's dark army. Link could feel his anger and disgust, when he saw that it was not only men and soldiers, but women, adolescent youths, around his age, and even small children marched in their undead servitude.

He could feel his heart break, almost to the point of tears. How could anyone do this? Link felt every fiber of his being burning with ire. Then, something stood out among the army of shuffling corpses, something that towered over everything else. It resembled a man, but the figure had to stand over eight feet tall, and it was shrouded by a deep black and purple cowl. Link slowly crept over what stable roofs tops he could and saw that whatever was leading the army held a rod of dark wood which cast a sickly, otherworldly light from a lantern that swung on top.

"A poe?" Link thought. Among the non-living horde, it would not be surprising; however, it was unlike any poe he had ever seen. Most were formless ghosts, rags carryings masks and lanterns, small in size, and attacking from the shadows. Whatever this was, it stood tall and bold, leading its followers fearlessly. Then it stopped still as death.

Two bodies lay in the street, motionless and half charred. A mother had attempted to shield her child from whatever force ripped through the streets, all in vein. While Link couldn't make out every feature, he knew that the sacrifice had yielded nothing, and felt even more sadness and anger surge through him.

The tall, shrouded figure grasped his staff with a twisted and sickly limb and jutted it outward suddenly, causing the lantern to sway and rock. A scream, bloodcurdling and shrill rang in the air, and the light pulsed on the staff. The light in the world seemed to dim further, and the shadows manifested, crawling like insects from the crooks and crevices of the world. There they gathered, swirled, and condensed to the lifeless remains and then lifted them slowly. Both the small child and its mother rose to their feet, manipulated by otherworldly forces, and stood straight and still. Then came the shrill cry again. The reanimated corpses' mouths opened and cried aloud, inhuman and painful. Their skin and clothes withered, tattered, and decayed. Witnessing with his own eyes the horror that had birthed into the world, Link could watch no more.

He wasn't fully aware of his actions, steeped in a trance of seething rage and fury, his heart pounded in his chest and the Triforce burned on his hand. The Master Sword was drawn in his hand, unsheathed, pulsing and bright in the darkness. The bitter wind rushed by him as he leapt from his perch, slicing at the tall monstrosity.

As his powerful strike was brought down, he heard only air being cut as he landed with a force that caused the decaying army to be flung away and fall to the ground. His target however, stood a few feet away, unscathed. Its purple and black cowl covered its entire head, draping over its shoulders and neck. Its chest was twisted and sickly, with scars and holes that oozed black bile, while tattered grey rags engulfed its lower body. If it floated or stood, Link did not know, the hole in the cowl where a face should have been showed only darkness. Link knew, however, whatever abomination lurked under the drape of death was staring at him with unholy scorn.

He gripped the hilt of the Master Sword tight in both his hands. His fingers were so tense that he could feel the blood pumping in his veins, burning with righteous fury. He raised his sword and charged with all his might, and thrust at the creature's chest only to have it blink out of existence once more.

Wheeling around, Link saw his adversary standing once more in front of the legion of withered soldiers. It raised a hand slowly, pointing with a sharp, talon like finger at the young man who challenged him. And it spoke. It's words were long, and raspy, disembodied and sharp, like a howling wind.

"Kiiiiiiiillllll Hiiiiiiiim."

The hollow constructs moved forward slowly, their arms outstretched towards their target. Pushing past the one who commanded them, they began to moan and stumble towards the boy. Leading the charge was the newly raised mother and child, their hands still clutching one another, while moving towards Link. Their rotted skin and hollow eyes stared at the hero, causing his blood to boil and his heart to break.

"You… you did this, didn't you? You corrupted all these people for _him…_" Link spoke through clenched teeth at the cloaked fiend. There was no answer, only the sound of scraping footsteps drawing closer to him. The golden sigil shone brightly on his hand, and he knew that the people he had sworn to protect were now being used as tools against him, suffering in the agony of undeath. Worst of all, there was nothing he could do about it… except one thing.

"I'll destroy you… and this madness you've created." Link growled through his teeth. The Triforce symbol pulsed, causing the blade of the Master Sword to shimmer and glow.

The shambling re-deads and stalfos were only feet away when Link swung his blade. A wave of light flew like a blade, bursting forth from the hero's weapon, and slicing though the darkness and his attackers with ease. The undead that were cut with the attack were instantly engulfed in the light and dispersed into dust. Freed from their torment, the soul exhaled one last time, seemingly with relief. As the wave cut through the legion, it exploded, causing the advancing waves to break apart and scatter. With one swipe, Link had cleared nearly the entire lane of its horrors. The explosion of light and energy even caused the staff holding creature to fall back a step.

Slowly, more undead began to pour into the narrow street, coming to the aid of the thing who commanded them. When the dust had settled, Link found himself surrounded on both sides by the dark attackers, spears, swords, and claws raised in the air. However, unlike last time, they stopped at the alley, behind Link and the towering monster, unmoving and silent as the grave. Link's eyes turned to his adversary. It raised its staff and then struck the road with the bottom twice. The sound rang out through the city. The lantern on top of the staff melted away, the light stretched outward and pulled back until there was a blade of cold iron and pale light. It had drawn its weapon, a menacingly long scythe.

Its hands jutted out from its covering, gnarled and pale, taking its cowl down slowly. The darkness parted, and a horrible face stared, inhuman, cold, and stark. Most poes wore masks to give a material appearance to their incorporeal form, but this wasn't a mask at all, it was more like some sort skull that became a helmet with an inanimate face. It was white, almost bright in the darkness, with red and black lines running over its face and head. Jutting out from the smooth surface, horns and spirals of bone created a kind of crown. The face, which looked like it had been sculpted into the very front of the skull was frozen in the smile of death with eyes as black and hollow as the abyss.

The Master Sword pulsed in Link's hand again, trembling with energy. He heard a voice in his mind, quiet but there. It spoke as unmistakable as if it were his own.

"_Emperor Guiest_: King of Poes and the undead."

Link heard a scream, but nothing moved. The screeching vibrations seemed to resonate in his head, causing him great pain. It felt like his head was being torn in two, and he winced with pain, but he did not move. However, it was enough for his attacker. Silently, the King Poe leapt with surprising swiftness, sweeping with its scythe. Link countered by stepping backwards. Almost instinctually, he reached for his shield, hoping to push and deflect with it, but knew that it was not there.

"Feeear." The ghost hissed. Another scream rang out in the boy's head, threatening to shatter his very skull, and again he found that it was harder to move. His focus was broken, and for some reason, images surfaced in his mind. He saw a young woman, beautiful and slender, her blond hair shimmering in the lights. She was with someone, a man, and they were holding one another. He heard his name, and the tone could convey only scorn. It was unmistakable. It was Zelda, but the man was not him. And he could feel everything he has worked for slip away.

Another sweeping strike, and this time, Link moved with no time to spare. His cheek stung, and blood oozed down his face. The wound was small, but it felt like it was on fire, and ached throughout his entire body. The scythe glowed with its dull light, a drop of blood slid down the blade of the ghost king's weapon. Link was clearly at a disadvantage, not only in a physical fight, but in position as well. His back was only a few feet from the wall of undead. With little choice between being torn apart and cut to shreds, Link began to think. Under the current circumstances, the fight could not be won.

His eyes scanned his surroundings quickly, searching for anything that could help him turn the tide of the battle. As he deftly avoided another swipe, he saw a crack in the wall that boxed him in. Grasping his weapon, Link sent another bolt of light at his opponent, who faded away with just enough time to avoid the blast. Again, the undead soldiers caught in the attack broke apart into dust before the explosion of light caused everything around it to scatter. Link had taken advantage of the moment and plowed through the fissure with all his weight.

Sure enough, the wall gave way, and Link found himself in another open alley, surrounded by shambling frames and blackened stone. Knowing that his reprieve would be short lived, he began to run as quickly as his feet would take him, looking for any place that could offer him cover. With an enemy who could phase in and out from any open side, Link knew he would have to fight where any attack could be seen and accounted.

He sprinted through the streets, cutting the few shuffling corpses he stumbled upon. Then there was a building in the distance that looked almost untouched, save for the broken windows. Its spires and walls stood sturdy in the darkness and it was clear that it was a cathedral. That would have to be his haven. Before he could begin his flight in earnest, however, he heard the shredding of wind and rolled out of the way just before the dark scythe sliced his head from his body.

The young hero swung his blade in a counter attack, and his enemy leapt back in repose. The opening was enough for him to continue his trek, and he swiftly made his way to the great church. It was a little over five hundred yards away, but the hero's path was blocked at every turn by burning rubble, debris, and the vast legion of undead now coming from all corners of the city to kill him. Link's enemies had the high ground, and he knew it. Surrounded and pinned it, it would be only a matter of time before he was overwhelmed or the Emperor of the undead would strike him down. The cathedral was his only option.

Another swing from his foe's scythe pushed the young hero even further back, this time Link was able to parry the attack to the side, but the sheer force was enough to send him sliding backwards. Before link could fully recover he began scrambling towards the building he hoped would give him a chance. With every pace, another rotting arm reached out to grab him, a rafter above collapsed and threatened to crush him, and it seemed as if the whole world was trying to impede his progress. But Link's years had served him well. Each one of his steps was steady, each breath was controlled. He would not be caught off guard.

After what seemed like a month of solid running, Link's footsteps finally met with the stone of the marble steps. The doors of the church barely hung on the hinges, left ajar from the cataclysm that had destroyed the city, yet they seemed to welcome the Hero of Time as a haven. His feet left the earth as he leapt with all his agility, just as the Emperor Guiest materialized behind him and swung for the back of his neck.

Rolling on the cool floor of the church, the young man saw the fiend and his army of reanimated corpses amass behind him, like locusts pouring out of the air. Sensing his borrowed time slipping away, Link kicked the large, thick doors shut, nearly sending them off their already damaged fixtures. With surprising strength, even to Link, he shoved a few of the pews that were strewn about the floor against the doors easily, hoping to bar them as best he could. He leaned against a column momentarily, taking a deep breath and letting his heart rate lower and his adrenaline subside.

Looking around, the lights around him flickered and swayed, all the chaos and destruction of the city filtered in through the broken panes of glass. Many wrought iron bars that once held stained glass now stood vacant, like a skeleton without flesh, and what glass remained was either shattered, charred, or disconnected from the rest. It was serene in the chapel, no sounds of fire or crashes could be heard, and all Link could feel was stillness and his slight shaking from his physical exertion. It was eerie how calm things could be with a horde of murderous undead and a hell spawned phantom chasing him through the city.

And that's when he saw it. Gleaming dully in the light upon the white marble altar, it stood out amongst the surroundings, seemingly untouched. A shield bearing the Hylian crest and Royal Family's emblem was affixed to the pedestal, adorned with ornate filigree and precious metal fixtures. Link's hopes began to rise, but he knew better than to be overly optimistic. It wasn't uncommon to hold ceremonies in honor of the Goddesses, but the shield itself could be questionable. If only a decorative adornment, the shield would hardly be of any use for defense, especially against the ones pursuing him. As he walked, his footsteps echoed all around him in the empty chamber, the crushing feeling of isolation and paranoia began to weigh upon him as he moved to inspect the altar.

Then the screams rang out around him and the adrenaline surged in his system once again. His arm stung and burned worse than anything he had ever known. Although he had managed to evade the attack, a gash on left his arm oozed blood. Although the wound was minor, the pain was extraordinary. Link felt as though his entire left side was dead and crushed, but it moved unhindered. Wheeling around, Emperor Guiest towered menacingly, standing stock still and poised to strike. Link grasped his sword, fighting through the pain and the numbness settling into his body. Link knew he would have to act fast. He had seen the monster's ability to dissipate and materialize and knew that he would have little over five seconds before the assault would continue.

Willing all his power into his weapon, the blade began to glow Link slashed once more, an uneasy and sloppy swing, but it was aimed at its mark. The ruse worked, and anticipating the attack, the ghost lord dispersed, despite no energy being discharged from the Master Sword. Link sprinted to where the altar lay and with strength manifested from within, he tore the shield from its facet. Instantly, he knew the shield's worth from its weight and metal. The craftsman that offered their work to the church had to have been skilled to create such a piece, but even so, Link was unsure how it would stand up to his adversary and his weapon. He soon found out.

The scythe that swept towards the young hero's head met the steel of the shield with a vicious crash. The metal rang and vibrated immensely, even with the wood and leather reinforcements absorbing as much of the shock as it could. The force traveled up the Hylian boy's arm, shaking him to the core and driving him back nearly a foot… but the shield held. The only damage to the armor was the nick to the luminescent blue paint that covered its surface. Shaking his newly found barrier, Link regained his stance while his opponent stood and cocked his head in seeming curiosity. The minion of the Dark King launched another blow, and again it was deflected, sparks flying from the contact, but Link was ready, recovering as soon as his attacker was pushed back and counterattacking quickly and fiercely.

The evasion of his opponent was admirable, but Link had struck a mark against him, slashing his robe and brining a drop of the monster's black, disgusting blood to his sword which boiled and evaporated from the blade upon contact. The poe didn't move or react, but it was clear that it was a somewhat at a loss both in the new battle grounds and at his target's new tactics.

The terms of engagement had changed radically in the span of a few moments, but the battle between the two had only begun.

[Author's Notes: I apologize again for lengthy delays. I've had this chapter half written for a little over 3 months, I just could never bring myself to finish or post it. It's rough, I'll have my new, loving girlfriend/editor look it over before I repost the final versions, but I hope you enjoy it and up to your standards. Thank you for reading and please review if you liked it (or even if you didn't).]


	14. Chapter 13 Mandate of Defiance

Legend of Zelda:

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 13

Mandate of Defiance

[Disclaimer: This work is purely fan based. This story and its author are in no way affiliated with Nintendo or its trademarked franchise "The Legend of Zelda". Please review after reading, as I appreciate and respect my readers' feedback.]

Peace was a distant memory to the young man. Only the sounds of malice and rage filled his ears and the empty chamber. Rancid and rotting arms clawed through the empty shells of the church windows, inhuman screams and moans escaped their maws, and the crashing of metal against metal rang out. The air around him seemed to get colder, but he could not notice it; all his attention was spent trying to find an opportunity to strike and looking for a weakness. Each blow against him felt like an earthquake inside his body, but he didn't give an inch. Determination and fury coursed through him.

Link blocked another oncoming attack from his assailant with his shield and then lashed out in retaliation. Bringing his sword down hard, the Emperor Guiest turned his scythe to parry with the rod of his weapon. The slick, dark wood made contact with the glowing blade of the Master Sword and remained steadfast, but it was enough to cause the monster to hesitate for a second. Link took the initiative, drawing his right arm close to his shoulder and chest and thrust forward with all his weight behind his aegis. The contact shook him and the boy pushed with all his might, throwing his opponent back. Attempting to seize the moment and lead an offensive, Link quickly tried to thrust forward with his sword only to meet empty air causing him to stumble slightly. In that slight moment where he had taken his eyes off of his opponent, he had disappeared.

Link braced himself, poised for the attack that was sure to follow… but did not. Link looked around everywhere in the chapel, but did not see any sign of his attacker. Seconds passed and nothing stirred inside, but outside, the re-deads and the stalfos scrapped and grasped through the iron fixtures of the windows and pounded upon the damaged doors. Link kept low, waiting patiently and keeping his eyes and ears alert to any little change. Link's gripped tightened upon his weapon, centering his focus and charging energy from himself into his blade. Finally, a shriek erupted, but as quickly as it was heard, the ambush came and the sickle's blade began to sweep towards the hero's head. But it was the opportunity Link had waited for. He spun so quickly that it seemed as if he were a bladed top. The swift motion caused a whirling light to emit outwards. The scythe's blade was parried away and the attack struck the Poe lord head on. Black blood and bile spilled from the wound upon the things chest onto the floor. Stepping back in a defensive manner, the creature was stunned, though it did not show it through its stark skull face nor did is show any signs of pain.

But the affront had been made. Quickly, it launched another assault against Link, and the might at which it swung forced the hero to nimbly evade rather than block. But as soon as its first swipe missed, another was launched, leaving Link little time to block. As soon as contact was made, it again launched another and another, forcing the Hylian back. Another swipe, this time meet Link's shield with such vigor that he was nearly knocked off his feet, but left him with enough time to retaliate. Slashing upwards, his desperate attack was deftly blocked with the underside of the staff before the same rod of wood was checked with unholy strength towards his face. Link turned his weapon so that the flat of the sword rested against the scythe's shaft and held it back. Every fiber of the man's body strained to keep the ghost at bay and two stood clinched, unwavering and unmoving. Then the Emperor raised his twisted, claw like, hand and began to swipe at Link's throat which he promptly blocked with his shield, and the two slid back from the resulting force.

"He is unable to focus on my actions when he dissipates," Link thought. "He can shift from one point to another, but he can't track all my movements when he does." The realization was the key which he had hoped for, and his opponent's weakness had been revealed. Holding his blade and arm straight, pointing towards the abomination, he began to move slowly, trying to circle his enemy. The Ghost King returned the actions, moving only slightly and turning its morbid, skull like face to watch the young man. Link made an agile and small slash towards target, and was blocked staunchly. With keen precision, Link made only a slight gesture with his wrist and stuck again, only to be eluded. The apparition made a large arc, striking with his staff and then sweeping with its blade. Both actions were defended against, first with a parry, then a block. The monster's opening was great, and the Hero of Time slashed at its exposed flank, only to meet emptiness.

The time had come, and Link quickly poured all his focus and will into the Master Sword, causing the blade to pulse and shimmer vividly. Leaping backwards with his back against the massive white stone column, he closed his eyes and stood poised, prepared to strike at the right moment. Link's patience was tested again, for seconds that seemed like hours nothing stirred in the slightest. Then the sweeping sounds of fabric, the stench of death, and the shrill scream erupted all around him.

Link dropped to the floor, kneeling quickly, barely avoiding the attack and losing a few strands of hair in the process. But he had succeeded, and when the advance missed, the unholy scythe embedded itself in the stone pillar deeply, shaking dust from it and the ceiling. The screeching sound of metal and stone pierced his ears, but it was also a signal. He braced himself and swung with such power that even the sinews and muscles in his arm ached for a moment. And contact was made. The soft sound of flesh and then the hard crack of bone met with the Blade of Evil's Bane, followed by a massive explosion of sound and light erupting forth from the holy weapon.

Dust and smoke smothered his eyes and lungs. He was seemingly blind and suffocating, crushed under a blizzard of particulate and debris. Link exhaled heavily, coughing and covering his eyes with his forearm. His feet stumbled for a moment, only a moment, but then regained their bearings and led him from the cloud of destruction the he caused. His eyes watered, but slowly began to focus once more, and he prayed that his attack had landed true, otherwise he had given his evil opponent the opening he needed for a killing blow. When his vision and lungs had finally cleared and the dust began to settle, Link began to assess the situation.

At first, it seemed as though Emperor Gueist had evaporated from existence again, as not trace was seen, and so Link prepared to be assaulted again. However, he then spotted the tyrant of the undead opposite of him, crumpled in a heap upon the floor some thirty paces away. Apparently, the explosion had launched him into the wall with such force that the thing caused the stone to crack and split. The mass of grey, disgusting flesh and tattered cloth lay motionless, seemingly broken and dead. Suddenly though, the abomination rose through unseen powers and stood rigid and broken.

Its limbs twitched and snapped grotesquely like some puppet continuing on, despite its crippled frame. The same putrescent muck seeped out of the wounds the fiend sustained and a jagged crack now ran down the side of its skull, from its forehead to its chin, revealing the abysmal shadows that twisted and writhed inside. The damaged skull opened its jaws and let out a horrendous scream that echoed and shook everything around it, causing Link to hold his ears in a vain attempt to shut it out. For a moment afterwards, even then ravenous undead ceased their mad scrambling in the wake of their master's outcry.

Summoning its weapon from the ground to its hand, the monster stepped forward and began to shimmer out of existence once more. This time, however, it was unsuccessful, managing only to fade for a moment before returning to its original position, surprising both combatants. Link, standing ready to be attacked at any angle quickly saw that his attack had done more than merely wound the creature, and smirked a little. He had leveled the playing field and now was the time to turn the tide. Launching with all his speed and power, he continued the battle swiftly. The Poe King, at somewhat of a loss, could only defend as the grand skills which had been honed for almost ten years fell upon him, trying to counter and attack as best he could.

For several minutes, the two exchanged blows, Link's slowly gaining the upper hand, despite the slow fatigue beginning to build in his body. His attack had disabled the unpredictable powers that had once held him back and actually hurt the dead commander, leading its movements to be more sluggish and unrefined. Again and again, the two fought and struck at one another, but the both warriors were beginning to wear down, and even the unholy scythe was beginning to crack and splinter a little piece at a time. The zeal was enough to renew the young champion, leading each attack to strike harder than the last. Once, he even managed to knock back the villain's weapon and slashed it across the back, stunning it and causing it a moment of fleeting pain.

Even so, the masses outside continuously attempted to push and claw their way inwards; the doors shook and began to crack, the iron fixtures began to rattle and give way, and even the stones began to shift and scrape out of place. In the midst of the combat, a stalfos hand broke through a gash in the stone arch, which Link promptly cut off, but it gave the Guiest enough time to resume defending and ruining the opening the hero had created only a moment before. Time was growing short, and Link knew that if he did not defeat the morbid ringleader and escape soon, the masses would break in and overwhelm him.

He disengaged, stepping back cautiously and examining his target. The towering phantom stood unmoving, waiting to react to whatever he would attempt. Link began to prepare the final strike, hoping that the "coup de grace" would be enough to finish the fight and allow him to make his way to a safer place. Link exhaled strongly, calming himself as best he could. To his surprise, however, the Emperor stood still, letting his arms and weapon fall to his side. The Hero was unsure of the calm change, but he doubted that it was surrender. It was an opportunity, however, and one that he could not afford to pass up. He rushed forward, wind sweeping by him, and then he leapt as high as his legs would allow. Raising his holy weapon over his head, he prepared to bring it down with all the strength he possessed and all the energy he could focus into the blade. But it was a useless gesture, as Link soon found out.

The dead monarch's mouth opened wide as yellow eyes pulsed in the vacant sockets, and let out a scream so violent that a wave of force hit Link and sent him flying backwards through the air. The marble floor was unkind as he crashed down upon it and all his senses again spun madly. Quickly, Link leapt to his unsteady feet, but found the monster still standing, unmoved even with the opening it had created. Its eyes burned fiercely, like masses of sulfur and fire and its gaping, skull like maw closed again as it approached slowly, like a funeral procession. Link stood firm, despite his recent recovery, fighting the slight vertigo and taste of blood in his mouth.

"Desssspair!" The horror cried out in its raspy, deathly voice. Once more, a shock wave erupted from its mouth and hit the young man hard, sending him skittering to the ground until he collided with the altar. Whatever physical harm was caused, however, was meaningless as his head began to swim with thoughts once more. Dark, horrible images crossed into his mind, clouding his vision. People cried out for their hero to save them, but were obliterated by a horrible attack by a figure wrapped in darkness. Zelda lay in the embrace of another, cursing his name and laughing horribly. Six bodies lay massacred on the ground, horrible pictures of carnage that had once been living beings. It all overwhelmed him, causing him pain in such a manner that he felt as though his mind were being ripped apart.

The visions burst forth like fever dreams, and when they passed for a brief moment, Link could see the figure getting closer. Wildly swinging and stumbling around, Link hoped to keep his assailant at bay, but only succeeded in falling down and crashing down the steps. Reacting solely on instinct, Link rolled away, trying to buy some time for his perception to return to normal. When his vision finally did begin to normalize, he soon saw that the towering figure was now standing over him. Unsure of exactly what to do, he attempted to strike with his sword and return to his feet in one motion. He was quickly grabbed by the iron grip of the decaying hand and his throat instantly ceased to pass air to his lungs. His skin felt as if it was both freezing and on fire simultaneously, the smell of rotting flesh and death was so overwhelming that the sickness caught his nostrils and stomach and attempted to gag them, despite the chokehold. Facing the dominant phantasm, his eyes met with the yellow orbs of maliciousness and winced.

"Ssssorrow!" Another tremendous force collided with the body after being relinquished from the unwavering grip. Crashing into the wall with similar force as his attacker only a few moments ago, Link bounced and collapsed back on the floor as he convulsed into fits even more penetrating and disturbing than before. Again, between the momentary pauses in horrible thoughts, Link saw the demon stalk closer and closer. The pain and scenes came with such power that his entire body clenched and spasmed as his eyes rolled back in his head.

It was then that he realized something was happening to him. His breathing was slowing, his vision was darkening, and his heart was beating loudly but slowing down ever more. He began to feel cold and numb, and now it was all slowing softly. And then the shadow passed over him. The Emperor Guiest menaced over him, and a small gleam of light passed for only a moment and instantly, Link knew what was going on. It was raising its weapon for the killing blow, and he was powerless to stop it.

Then one final thought passed through his mind. All of Hryule burning, all its people obliterated or twisted, everything he held dear destroyed, and Zelda was gone. Just gone. And in that instant, that thought of loss sparked something in him. The Triforce insignia burned brightly on his hand, giving the Ghost Lord pause, before bringing down his weapon.

"Oblivion."

Link's mind was still. The pictures of immolation were still there, but they had stopped, but there was something else, something that had not been there before. A small glimmer of light shone and a figure stood obscured and then they spoke.

"You can't give up now Link. I'm counting on you. We're all counting on you."

His eyes snapped open and before he had time to think, he raised his right arm swiftly. The resulting shock of the curved blade deflecting off the shield caused him to sink a little into the stone from the blunt force. Then the imposing figure staggered back. The Master sword had swiftly cut through the rigid and bony ankle of the ghoulish fiend and sliced the other. Rising to his feet, Link brandished his weapon and swung.

The crack of the wood was enough to resonate against the ceiling. The two halves of the once imposing weapon fell to the ground and evaporated into eerie light and dust. The talon like hand tried to lash out, but was caught by the boy, grasping it in his hand before slicing it off and tossing it to the ground. The monster cried out in agony, sending another eruption of air and sound towards Link, but he raised his shield and braced himself against the force. He dug in with his feet as firmly as he could and then flung his shield and the force it absorbed to the ground causing dust and stone to fly into the air. Then all was silent.

For what seemed like hours, the air was littered with a haze that refused to settle. When it finally began to clear two figures stood against one another, one tall and hunched, the other average and straight backed, standing defiant. Neither of them moved nor spoke, they were still as statues, waiting for the other to make their move. Finally, the smaller person readied his weapon and began to walk forward. The abyssal maw opened again, seemingly retaliating in its deathly visage.

"Dessssstruc-"

"Enough!" The horizontal slash sent a golden light outwards, silencing the horrendous beast. Link left no time between the success and his next move. He was already upon his enemy as soon as the powerful strike landed, stabbing the Guiest in the chest and bringing him down. The wails and screams came from all around, both from the monstrosity now pinned to the floor of the church and those surrounding the outside. The anguish of evil and the new vigor of its wielder caused the divine sword to pulse, and Link, responding to its call for justice, struck the final blow, slicing almost effortlessly through the spiritual demon. And then it was over.

More vile fluids and shadowy substance erupted from the vertical gash that ran from the torso of the thing to the top of its skull. The nightmarish creature rose from the ground suddenly, sending the Hero of Time off his feet and back to the floor. Red and black light began bursting from the ghoulish corpse as it twisted and contorted in the air, writhing like a snake. Violently, it began breaking apart before his eyes, evaporating and tearing away from itself until in one last great death spasm, it broke apart and dispersed with an eruption of wind and darkness.

Then all was quiet.

The shambling bodies outside dissipated into dust, and those that had not been subjugated by the former terror, scattered through the streets, unsure of what to do without their leader or their once vast numbers. The victor of the struggle slowly pulled away the barricades he had placed to keep him safe and peered outside of the great stone archway. He saw that he had freed most of the tortured souls, giving him a small feeling of comfort, but a comfort that could not help to drown out the sorrow that the only peace he could give to the people who had once pursued him was that of death.

Then he saw the great obelisk in the sky, the citadel of evil, spinning in the sky, the one that housed the one responsible for all the madness and chaos in the world. His blood boiled and knew that soon, it would come to him to deliver justice to the Evil King. He then returned his glimpse to the city and what remained of it. Remembering how it was and the woman and her child, he felt his heart pound and his grip tighten.

"I'm… sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Forgive me. I wasn't strong enough to protect you. I should have been here to protect you." Tears began to well up in Link's eyes and his started to close, but he fought them back. "I promise you, I'll get _him._ I'll stop him. I swear it."

Stumbling back into the church, he sheathed his sword and began to stumble from his exhaustion. Beaten and scarred, his steps became erratic and unsteady against the stone cathedral floor. As his vision and strength began to waiver he fell to his knees and looked up to see the statues of the Three Goddesses looking down upon him. Finally he collapsed, the last thoughts passing through his mind were of Zelda and all the people he failed to save.

[Author's Note: Sorry about the roughness of this one guys. I realize this is full of comma splices and sentences ending in prepositions, and I'll fix it and the previous chapter very soon. I've found out that combat is very hard to write without being too short or repetitious. I hope you enjoyed it and would appreciate it if you would review and let me know what you though.]


	15. Chapter 14 Divine Right

Legend of Zelda

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 14

Divine Right

"Is the food not to your liking, majesty?" His tone was cordial and calm, a parody of the man speaking the words. His dark armor and bronze skin gleamed in the dim light and his eyes absorbed all around him.

"I wouldn't be able to tell you. I'm feeling ill." She kept her regal manner but almost spat the words as they left her mouth.

"Only natural. The citadel's spinning is easier in the center. I didn't lay out the plans with thoughts of guests… I do so apologize. I could change if you wish." He raised his hand and the golden insignia flashed slightly. "It would all be too easy."

"It isn't the setting. It's the company. And your reckless abuse of power only further sickens me… Ganondorf Dragmire." Her gown swayed slightly as she turned away in disgust both from the food which sat in front of her and her host who sat opposite from her. The grand table held all kinds of delicious foods and dishes, prepared with the greatest of skill. The banquet was a sight for only two people, but the man rose up from his dark throne and moved toward his guest. Sweeping some of the things from the table and onto the floor he sat on the table and leaned closer towards her.

"Please… after all we've been through, call me 'Ganon'. And if you're going to be formal, "My Dark Lord" or "God-king" will do just fine. He laughed flippantly and then returned his gaze to her.

"You're pathetic. You've done all this for what? So you can be king again of death and ruin? Is that the goal this time?" The young, beautiful woman looked up at her dinner companion with a scornful glare.

"Oh, dear princess, don't you see? Destruction breeds creation. It purifies what was there and what is left is truly beautiful. Much like you." His smile was so broad and pleased it was almost childish.

"You tried that once before. You failed. What makes you think this time will be any different? My kingdom will never bow to you."

"Perhaps you should take a look out the window, princess. It may help to put things in perspective." With a wave of his hand the wall in the windowless chamber shimmered and then turned transparent. A red light flooded the room and towers of smoke blotted out the scarlet hued sky. The earth was scorched and dark, the waters shimmering on the horizon were opaque and still; all seemed dead.

"I've seen this before." Her tone waivered ever so slightly as she tried to keep her dignified repose.

"Isn't it beautiful? A wonderful gift for you, I thought."

"How could this possibly benefit me or anyone in my kingdom?" She closed her eyes, half expecting it to be a nightmare, trying to find a way to wake up.

"Well, you see, it's a very subtle truth, one that you have to look for beyond the normal surface." The dark king mused to himself.

"You mean you have to be insane."

"You're always so eloquent, your highness. What you have to realize is that these people were… for all intensive purposes, pathetic. Now, that's not to say it is their fault. You don't expect those who are born enslaved both physically and mentally to know of anything more than what they have known their whole lives. I feel very sorry for them, I truly do. A life of servitude, passed on from those before, passed down to those after. Though you may not believe it, I've liberated them from their endless toil.

"And then there's you. I know that you are reluctant to lead an entire nation of people. You'd rather be care free. Now, this way you shall still maintain your royal stature, but be free of your obligations. You see, I've set you all free?" He smiled genuinely and warmly, placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder which was slapped away promptly.

"Is that what you really believe?" The princess asked slightly perplexed at the sudden shift in emotion.

"No." Came the swift reply. "I just like crushing bugs beneath my heel. Bugs that can't even recognize how far down in the dirt they are. They were all helpless fools. A nation of fools and blind insects. I felt sorry for you, I really did. You should thank me, truly."

"They were my people! They were living beings, and you killed them and then discarded them like trash."

"They were trash… technically, they still are trash. At least this way they don't have a dissenting opinion. Isn't that so much better? A new kingdom will rise from the remains, if you will pardon the overused expression. One that will serve me without question. I can rule without fear, without worry, without hesitation. My interests are their interests, and now, you will see that my way is a better way. I've united them. And soon… soon I will unite everything."

"You're disgusting, Ganon. You've destroyed Hyrule, not unified it. And what will you do with your empire of death? Nothing. Your power will be meaningless. You'll never extinguish all life. And one day it will rise up to defeat you. "

"That is where you are wrong, my sweet monarch. First, I've not killed everyone in Hyrule. By my conservative estimates, only about a third of the population was destroyed. A meaningless number. And besides, there are many different beings in this world alone, people that you have no idea even exist. And besides, Hyrule is just a speck on a map, a miniscule landmass on an entire planet. I won't rest until everything in this world is under my sway. And then I shall begin my true plan."

"What do you mean? What will be left after this world burns by your damned touch?"

"Well, I have you to thank for that princess."

"Queen!" Zelda retorted harshly. "I am the sovereign ruler of Hyrule and your mortal enemy forever. And you will address me as such."

"Of course, my queen." Ganondorf bowed in mock politeness. "You see, when you attempted to cast me into the Sacred Realm, that Golden Realm that I so lovingly conquered, something happened. Instead of returning to my place of power, I entered a sort of Limbo… an in-between world where my power counted for nothing. What is worse, time was meaningless there, seconds very well could have been years, and eons a mere blink of the eye. For a time I cannot be sure of, I existed and did not. Then, I was finally able to gather enough of my strength to escape… with great difficulty, I might add." The evil lord seemed lost in thought for a moment before snapping back into his senses. He moved from the table and stood, overlooking the world he had altered before finally waving his hand and sealing it away once more.

"When I was finally able to tear out of my prison, I found myself in a despicable world. Dark, evil, terrible things sat in the shadows. Demons and monsters, all of them just waiting to devour anything that crossed their path. A realm full of predators… all of them powerful beyond thought. But I also found that I was able to recover the power I had lost, and soon I was back to my old self. I subjugated the world and everything in it with ease. I was able to return here after much pain and effort, but with a new purpose. You had shown me that there were worlds beyond our own, worlds practically paradise, and others a veritable pit. But worlds none the less. My plans had changed in an instant, and I knew my destiny: To find the realm of the Goddesses and seize their power!"

Ganon's laughter echoed through his black citadel. His evil intent rang clear and permeated all that heard it. Zelda's mouth hung open at his proclamation. Such madness and ambition had never been thought, yet alone realized. Greed, pride, madness, all these things were but words. Ganon was something more, something greater, and something far more sinister.

"Blasphemy! Do you really think that you could oppose the Goddesses? Even if every being in this world were under your command, you wouldn't even pose a threat to them. They gave you the Golden Power! They can take it away just as easily."

"Little Queen, there is something you should know about the divine powers… The most important of which is that they are all pranksters. Jokers. Fools in their own right. Even the gods and goddesses themselves are jokes. That they would share their powers with mortals is insanity in itself. They are unworthy of that power. And I will ascend further when I take it from them. Now, I am the most powerful mortal alive, but soon, I will be a God!" His laughter broke out even louder, seemingly deafening and intoxicating.

"Madness. You cannot oppose them."

"You are right, Sage of Wisdom. Even with all the power this world has to offer, I would be just an insect at their feet. Much like your former people who now serve me. But imagine every world in the cosmos bending to my will. With every new world I find, all of its inhabitants shall join me… either willingly or… undyingly." Ganon made a pointing motion to the guards at the door. The stalfos knights' rotting corpses stood rigidly, unmoving, and completely loyal. With a snap of his fingers Ganon signaled to them and the two tore themselves apart. The horrid act was all according to the will of their lord and master.

"And when my army is vast and bolstered it will only be a matter of time before I find the world of the Divine Goddesses. Either willingly or forcefully, I shall take their strength… and all shall serve me! Doesn't that sound lovely…Queen Zelda?"

"Truly… you insanity knows no bounds." The young woman replied horribly.

"Nor my ambition." His smile broadened. "And for purposes, my power is unlimited…. Some women would find that attractive." He leaned in closer with his smile towards his royal guest.

"Ugh!" Zelda turned away and sneered. "I have nothing but contempt and disgust for you. I told you once, I will stop you. The sages will stop you. _He_ will stop you!" Zelda's tone was confident and even a tad bitter, something completely unlike her.

"This old song and dance." He sighed with the repetition and defiance. "I think you need to realize just how misplaced your faith is, highness. One of your sages is already dead. The same one that betrayed and tried to kill you, I might add. The others broke apart and scurried back to their respective hovels, soon to be dealt with. Your people are broken or dead. You kingdom lies in shambles. And as for your hero… well, as I've told you before; he won't be coming to your rescue", Ganon paused for a moment, mocking deep thought, "_Ever_!"

"I don't believe you." She turned and faced her jailor head on. "He would not have fallen so easily. He will come for me, and when he does-" She was silenced all too quickly with his lips pressed against hers. The shock was so great that she couldn't move for a moment. When she finally regained her composure, her gloved hands pushed him away as hard as she could and slapped his face with all her strength and disgust.

"How dare you!" The shout echoed in the chamber.

"It's ok, my queen. We don't have to pretend. You are welcome to anything of mine, any time. Even more, if you would only ask." He smiled so deviously through narrowed eyes.

"You're disgusting. You taste of death and corruption." Zelda rose her hand to her lips and wiped them against the fabric of her satin gloves.

"Haha, your highness. You are amusing. Believe that he is alive all you want; it won't change the fact that he _is_ dead. I just don't want to see you get your hopes up for nothing." The Thief King turned away and began to walk towards the grand door with heave steps. "But I tell you this in utmost confidence; I would never have been so bold if I knew the one person who could stop me was still out there. I've learned from those mistakes. And now that my victory is assured, it seems you will never learn from yours."

"You didn't learn anything, Ganon." The young queen said in a calm, yet strong tone which caused the man to stop just short of the door. "Everything you've done can be changed back. Nothing you do is permanent. No one rules forever, and your reign shall end sooner than you think."

"You mean the Ocarina?" He asked without turning around. "Like I said dear Zelda, I've learned from my mistakes. It will be within my grasp soon enough."

"Your overconfidence will be your down fall. And I'll personally see you pay." The nonchalant tone betrayed her true intent for justice. But the young lady cried out in pain as Ganon grasped her arm tightly and wheeled her around to face him. He had silently crossed the room in the blink of an eye, surprising her as well as him. His grip was like iron and his power was suffocating as the room began to tremble in his rage. Even the air seemed to tear and shift under his will.

"You had better understand your situation, _princess_! You only live because I find you amusing and you bear the Triforce. That is all. You champions have fallen, you sages broken, and your world is burning. I am not one to threaten, ever! You had best learn your place and learn it well. Now _sit down and eat_." His last words left no doubt. He shoved her down in her rigid chair forcefully. As much power and wisdom as the new queen had, even she feared the anger and raw might. She found herself sitting, trembling even from his outburst. But as sudden as it had come, his rage subsided and all was still. His face which had been contorted in a snarl of intense passion was now calm and welcoming once more.

"Now, I shall leave you a guest. And I do suggest you take my command seriously…" He snapped his fingers and instantly a whirlwind of darkness and dust rose from the stone floor then subsided, and in its place a dark silhouette of a man stood. "Because if you don't I'll have the food forced down your throat. That's a promise." Ganondorf chuckled a little before making his way to the door. However he stopped just before his lieutenant.

"Your hero's… better half will keep you company while I further my plans. If you look closely out of your window, you may just see the plume of smoke that was once the great forest of Hyrule." His matter-of-fact tone was seemed so common it was hard to even register what he was saying. He then pulled the dark doppelganger close to him by the shoulder, his vice-like grip commanding absolute loyalty. "If you see any attempt at magic or hear one incantation, subdue her and lock her away with restraints. But do not harm her, understand?" His horrid creation looked up to his master with a scowl and nodded slowly and defiantly.

"Good." He turned quickly, his cloak flowing behind him as he threw open the door with unseen effort. "Princess, behave yourself. Enjoy my hospitality. Anything you desire, within reason, shall be made available to you. And enjoy the show." And with that the great stone doors flung open as he strode through them arrogantly, and slammed shut at a wave of his hand.

When the grand doors came together, Aganhim stood on the other side awaiting his master's audience. His posture was uneasy, his shoulder still scared and his arm still weakened from his assault. He wrung his hands and his eyes darted nervously around the floor. For moments on end he could feel his lord's gaze upon him, but he dared not to speak for fear of punishment. Finally his time came when Ganon hastily asked, "What?"

"My king," he hesitated for a moment, trying to make the news less impacting, "It seems there has been a… complication." The meek statured wizard tried to convey little worry in his tone. He failed.

"Nothing too serious, I hope. What has happened?" The evil man raised his eyebrow in a sort of curious annoyment.

"It seems that… the lieutenant tasked with bolstering your forces with the dead in Castle Town has-"

"Yes, Emperor Guiest. It was quite a chore finding and compressing all those poes into one body. What has become of him? Is he not meeting his tasks?" Ganon adjusted his gloves, paying little attention to his business minded colleague or his words.

"It would seem he was killed." Both Aganhim and his master stood still, one peering down his nose at the other, and the other looking down at his robbed feet.

"Explain. _NOW!"_ He barked orders at his dog causing him to jump a little.

"Not much is known . Apparently the soldiers that returned claim he was confronted in the old district of the city and then chased his assailant to the cathedral. He was killed and many of the newly risen thralls were destroyed."

"Who was it, a sage?" Ganondorf's tone was of genuine inquiry.

"Apparently milord, the description we have is a… young man wielding a sword with," he paused to gulp, "magical properties." Expecting a crushing blow or utter oblivion, the wizard threw his arms to protect himself but all that he received was the sound of a long sigh.

"You are sure? Absolutely sure?"

"All the accounts we have from the survivors say the same thing. I cannot verify it, but it seems so."

"There were no survivors, do I make myself clear? Whoever didn't die fighting is to be exterminated immediately…" The dark and sinister man raised his hand to his chin and was lost in thought but his tone was never raised and the world never quaked with his fury.

"Y-you aren't angry, my king?" Aganhim barely whispered in terror.

"Oh, I'm beyond enraged. Not only are you telling me that the one thing that could manage to hinder my plans _isn't_ dead, but that he also managed to kill one of my strongest commanders; one who was responsible for recruiting a great deal into my "fold". And, not only that, but my forces were too incompetent to finish him off. Your idiocy offends me, and if I had the time, I would kill you, but unfortunately I do not." Ganon's thoughts began to quicken and his disappointment and concern were visable.

"What are you order my liege?" The conjuror bowed low.

"Send scouts to the Temple of Time, and go personally. I want you to make sure that the boy is not dead. If he is, then all the better, if not, report to me right away. I want to know _everything_. I want the town burned to the ground as well. Let no edifice or building stand. If anything is alive, kill it, no questions and no prisoners."

"And what of the plans to assault the other temples? Shall I send word to Sarkoth and Zariux and tell them to return?"

"No. The situation has not changed, merely the circumstances and time frame. If anything we will have to speed thing up. But no matter. Now scurry, unless you would prefer to join those that I have to obliterate for failing me." Ganon's dark and menacing stare struck his servant like a fist and he quickly scurried away.

Then the King of Evil was alone in his grand and cold corridor. The spinning of his citadel meant nothing to him and his thoughts and feelings were no longer among what surrounded him. He slowly moved his hand to his temple and began rubbing the painful spot that was growing. For the first time in a long time, he was worried. He knew he had failed.


	16. Chapter 15 The Way Already Known

Legend of Zelda

Ascendant Legacy

Chapter 15

The Path Already Known

He could feel the touch of the grass against his skin, the breeze pushing his hair, even the sun's light warming his body. He felt lighter than air, breathing as effortlessly as one with no care in the world could. But his eyes were closed, and he could not open them, no matter how much he thought or tried to. But it mattered little to him. Everything was so far away. He was home, or somewhere so much like it he couldn't tell the difference. There was no creaking or swaying of a boat, no storm clouds, no foreign soil under his feet. This was where he belonged.

"Are you every going to wake again?" A beautiful, soft, feminine voice mused. It was melodic. So pleasing was it to his ears that he could feel himself smile broad at hearing it, tingling his ears as the sweet sound drifted over his ears.

"I don't know. I thought I'd just rest here for a while."

"You could if that's what you really wanted." He had thought he would have to stir, to move against every fiber of his will, like the owner of the voice would evict him from his bliss. And so relieved was he to hear it, every tense part of him relaxed at once. "But there are others that need you."

"Others? I don't know who."

"The people of your land. They all need you." As pleased and oblivious as he was, he saw flashes of faces, and a jerking sadness in his chest that passed quickly, but left its mark.

"I've already let so many people down..." He felt as if saying the words drained him of his very will to continue. "I couldn't save them. Not then, not now. I can't help anyone."

"Hush now. The evil's victories are not your failures. But now they are growing, marching to destroy everything." Her tone, while still beautiful was full of lament.

"I know. I fought with one of them already… they're so strong. I don't really know if I can win anymore. Maybe all I did was for nothing. Maybe leaving was a mistake."

"That doubt is not yours. You know that what you did was what you had to do. All of them do. And so does _she._" The mention of her was enough to cause his whole body to shake and stir, as if by reflex.

"How can I stop them? I don't even know where to begin. I'm so lost… everything I've done was for nothing."

"It was for them, it was for her, and it was for the good of all. You're stronger than you were. No one else could walk this path. And the beginning is known to you all along. It's the path already known. " He felt a warm touch on his shoulder, a caresses of arms over his body.

"Who are you? Why can't I see you?"

"You mustn't lose faith."

"Why? What faith is there left?"

"They haven't given up faith. You still have friends in that world. Friends that will never give up, as long as you stand."

"My…. Friends?" He tried so hard to clear his mind but it was so hazy. "Who are you? I… can't remember you. But I know."

"You must listen, Link. The darkness moves, and soon, it will devour everything. You friends need you. Everyone needs you. There is no one else who can change the fate of the world, except you."

"Who-"

"Understand that the light had already left him. The order has weakened, but it has not fallen, not yet. But if one should fall, the others will not be able to hold back what is to come. You must hurry if you are to save them, Link. And never doubt that everyone is with you. I am with you."

"Wait, please, I beg you. Tell me who you are." He could feel her pulling away, slowly and he knew his heart would be all the heavier once she was gone.

"I'm the first person you ever saved. And you should know that I've always been proud of you, Link. Even before you were the Hero of Time. They need you now."

He sat up quickly, finding his body was not as light or as pristine as it felt seemingly moments before. His eyes were open but his vision was blurry. Nothing could be made out except light, dim and soft, but light all the same. His side was in pain, his muscles ached and his mouth was as dry as it had ever been, but he was alive, despite suffering from a headache that made him nauseas and fall back into a soft bed. He gripped around him with his hands, patting madly, making sure that everything around him was real. He was in a bed.

As he tried to settle his curiosity, his vision began to clear slowly. What once was formless was beginning to take shape. He was in a simple room, the wood floor dusty and occasionally covered in straw or cobwebs was worn and old and the walls plain plaster and stone. His bed was made of straw, but comfortable and well broken in. He saw that his sides and right arm had been bandaged and the scrapes and cuts he had received had been bound and treated with a pungent salve. Normally, the young man could think of worse ways to wake up, but it raised more questions and even concerned him as to how he got there or who was responsible.

The he saw her.

She sat in a chair that could not have been comfortable. The wood was worn where arms and bodies had shifted over years and years of use. What had been brown was now bleached white by the sun and softer lights, but her skin was paler and fairer than the shade of wood. She slept soundly though, and as he began to stir so too did she. As he parted his lips to speak, he coughed aloud which caused her to startle.

"Where… am I?"

"Oh, you're awake!" She exclaimed. "Are you alright? When we found you, you were pretty banged up." He clutched his side with his un-bandaged arm and took stock in the care in which he had been treated.

"I thank you, miss, I do. But it's important. Where am I? How long have I been out?" His voice cracked from time to time as he slowly grasped his dry throat.

"Were at my family's ranch. You've been out for about twelve hours." His vision finally cleared and he noticed her completely. Her red hair glowed in the dim lantern light and she looked at him with her hazel eyes.

"Malon?" He asked in a strange, surprised tone.

"Yes, that's right. Have we met?"

"Yes you gave me Epo-… I mean…" He stammered for a bit. While he had memories and details and encounters with her, he could not simply tell her that in another time and another life he had saved her dairy farm, her family, and her beloved friend from Ganon and his underlings. But technically that had never happened. Not in this time. "Your family owns the Lon Lon Ranch, right? You… hired me for a time, of sorts."

"Oh, yes! You'll have to forgive me, we have so many people working with us now that we're supplying dairy and farm supplies to most of the kingdom." She apologized to Link quite profusely, not knowing the irony that saturated the situation.

"I thank you for tending to my wounds, but I must know everything that happened. The last thing I remember was…" He paused, remembering full well the battle that had waged between him and the monster.

"You must have been thrown by the blast. It's a miracle you weren't killed, much less escaping with only cuts and scrapes."

"How did you find me though? I didn't think anyone was alive." He began to rise out of bed but quickly stopped due to the pain in his ribs.

"The people… were," she took a deep breath though her nose, contemplating her words, "they didn't make it. Most were completely wiped out from that awful blast, others were picked off quickly by those monsters." She let her hand clutch at her heart and then rub her eyes. "Those who were left scattered and ran. A handful of us banded together and tried to find some safe place, but we were quickly surrounded. We managed to get inside the Hyrule Cathedral and hide in the cellars."

"How many of you hid there?" Link asked with concern as he began to shift a little more, loosening up his joints and muscles.

"A little over twenty. We didn't know how long we would have to hide, but after about half a day or so, we heard this great commotion. Like a battle or another explosion. Then everything went silent. A few of us became curious and checked outside; that's when we found you. It was strange, you were lying on the steps pretty beaten up, but there was nothing else around. No monsters, no corpses, nothing. We couldn't figure out what that meant, but we quickly grabbed you and ran for the gates of the town." Malon's tone of somber curiosity was overwhelming for the man in her care, trying to stifle the memories and keep his cover.

"You don't know what happened, do you? Did you see any of those … things, or how you ended up on the cathedral steps?" Her eyes peered at his as she cocked her head to the side.

"I saw… nothing. No. I'm not sure what happened either. Just running and confusion. Can you tell me what happened next or any other details?" And as he finished, he began coughing hard, dust still in his lungs and the dryness in his mouth and throat swelling. Malon quickly rose from her chair and brought forth a bowl of cool water and helped it to Link's mouth. She gently caressed his forehead and tried to motion him to lay down but to no avail.

"Careful. There's not much to tell, as no one really knows anything. Just that a catastrophe happened during the queen's coronation and most of Castle Town and everyone in it was ripped apart. Then a dark castle appeared in the sky above the devastation and began spinning and monsters started flooding the country. After we found you and escaped, we fled here as quickly as we could. Thankfully we didn't run into anything on the way and the ranch was left untouched. For now…"

Link drank in the water deeply, appreciative and instantly revitalized far more than he had been. His sense began to clear and he could feel his body start to ease.

"But… we did notice something." Her fists grasped uncomfortably for a moment and she grasped her arms at the elbows with duress.

"What?"

"We noticed more of those things…. And other terrible creatures massing around the floating castle. It was incredible and… horrifying. We had to be almost four or five leagues away and we could see them. It's an army but what could summon that or even command it? And for what reason?" She paused, half expecting him to answer. And while he did know, he did not speak; better that she remain unaware of the terrifying truth and oblivious to who he was. "And then they began to march. They began to move in for directions, but where I can't say."

"Do you know how many there were or if there was a man in black armor anywhere that you saw?" Link's voice bolstered with vigor and he sat up slowly working his shoulder and arm, assessing just how injured he was. His muscles responded, albeit sluggish or sorely. The cuts he had sustained burned and itched, but he knew that was a sign of healing. His head rang still, the scream from his last battle loud enough to splinter stone had shaken him, but he was not hurt or hindered that he could feel.

"I cannot say, sir. Are you sure you are alright? You are healing quickly it seems, but you shouldn't push. We don't know when we'll be able to move from here or what will happen next."

"Yes I'm fine, thank you. And my name is Link."

"Link, that seems so familiar…" But her thought was quickly put aside as a man entered through the door into the room. He was large and stout, gruff looking by appearance with cold steely eyes and brown hair with grey streaks, evident of his middle age. His face was worn with deep lines and wrinkles, the parts that weren't covered with his kempt beard and bushy brows. He wore light armor consisting of a leather jerkin covered in studs and thin plates of metal around his shoulders and neck.

"Malon, we may need some help out here shoring up the gate." He turned to where she had sat but upon seeing no one there, he turned to see both youths on the other side of the room. "Oh, you're up already! That's surprising, I thought you'd be out for another day or two. I wish I could give you better medical treatment, but we're stretched thin as it is."

"It's alright. Who are you, sir? Are you a knight?" Link waved him off and asked expectantly.

"A knight? No, my name is Leern and I'm a mason." He quickly looked down and saw that his armor had provoked the question and started again. "I'm part of the citizen milita. My company and I were dressed to welcome the coronation proceeding but… well, that obviously didn't happen."

"I see. Well, can you tell me what the situation is at the moment?"

"Situation? Boy, you just woke up and you know as much as we do. The whole damn kingdom is in shambles. All I can tell you is that twenty three people, us three inculded, ran like hell from the carnage. Whatever caused this disaster is quickly sweeping this place up like dirt. We're holed up here and things are quiet for the moment. Unless you know something we don't, that's all we have." The man's tone was cynical, strong, and curt. Link could not blame him for his abruptness, and he didn't give it a thought. Several things were running through the young man's mind.

"It's not going to stay quiet for long. Where are my things?" Link began looking around for his sword and saw it on the opposite end of the room, bound to his shield by his belt. He slowly got up and made his way to his items but the imposing man quickly stepped in front of him to stop him.

"Whoa! Hold on, you have some questions to answer first before I trust you to run around with a weapon. What were you doing outside of the church? I didn't see you with the group when we ran or when we got there. Why did you have a sword in the first place? And where did you get that sword, I've never seen anything like it? Not only that, you show up, but as soon as you do, those blasted abominations disappear. Why aren't you dead?"

"That blade is one of a kind. It was… given to me." Link's eyes fell to the floor, trying to think of something to tell the man who obviously did not trust him, and with good reason. Before he could speak again though, Leern's thick, strong hands grabbed him by the shoulder and held him firmly. Though the man had a great advantage in both size and weight, Link knew he could strike the man once and cause him to collapse, or quickly reverse his grip and incapacitate him. Though the reflex swept hard inside of him, Link fought the urge to respond. He decided it was best to seem at a disadvantage rather than try and dominate the situation through force.

"I don't know how I'm alive, what happened, or where the things you fought went. What I can tell you is that I am not your enemy and soon we'll be under attack. You'll need every able body and advantage you can get. As for my weapon, it was made to protect, not cause destruction."

"Really?" The imposing mason said with deep skepticism. He wheeled around and walked over to the sheathed sword in the corner and began to reach out to grasp it. The sword's hilt would have easily fit in the man's palm as opposed to Link's slim but experienced hand. But before he could grasp the weapon, the man froze, his expression changed instantly and he felt something compelling him to stop, something primal and powerful. He stood still for a moment, this alien impression sweeping though him, holding him in place. After a moment, he decided to withdraw his hand and turned to look at the young man in front of him.

The boy didn't look like much to him. His brown and white clothes were plain, his bandaged body was slender and muscular, but he was no juggernaut. His sandy brown hair and almost feminine attributes were hardly imposing, but his blue eyes were determined and unshakeable and he felt an aura about him. He knew at once, no longer blinded by caution or suspicion that whoever the kid was, he was telling the truth. But more importantly, he was unrelenting and stronger than he appeared.

"Alright, whoever you are-"

"Link, sir. My name is Link." He interrupted politely.

"Right… well Link. You said things are about to go from bad to a lot worse, which I don't know how you know… what did you mean by that?"

"Those things are going to sweep across the countryside. And since were in the middle of everything, eventually this place will get noticed." As he spoke his words were cool and collected, strategic, surprising even him a little. "The people that made it here, what are they like? Any knights, militia, or strong men? How many weapons and arms do we have? What are our supplies like?"

"Well, I'll put it in simple terms because I'm a simple man, son. Nothing is good. We have six mothers and their eight children, four women, two of which are wounded. Counting, you, me, and the two men that have seen more than twelve seasons and less than sixty, we have four people that can fight. But I'd wager you and I are the only ones that know how to use a weapon; which counting your sword and my spear makes two in total. We're bolstering the gate and other weaker parts of the fence. I'm not sure about supplies, I've been trying to manage everyone and keep things under control. The people are scared though. Hell, I'm terrified."

"We have a few things here at the ranch." Malon softly spoke, proud that she was able to contribute something to the conversation. "It's not enough to feed an army, but it should be enough vegetables and cured meats for a few days."

"No, you don't seem to understand. This place is safe for now, but that won't last. We have to get out of here and soon." Link said to her with caution in his tone.

"Calm down boy, we need a plan. And right now, the best plan I can think of is to hold up here, send someone as a messenger and try and get help. And besides, we just made a six hour journey in less than four. Were tired and it's the middle of the night. We shouldn't go anywhere until we know more. Besides, this place is decent from a defensive position. Were fenced in, we can see around us, and the main gate is the only easy way in."

"I'm telling you what's going to happen. All it takes is one scout and we'll be surrounded before nightfall tomorrow. And then what? Four men and twelve women are going to hold this place? For how long, days, weeks? And without proper weapons, all we'll be able to do is cower behind these walls. And I promise you, they will fall. And the gate is a double edged sword. If they can't come in, we also can't come out. We're cut off." The young man grabbed his sword and slung it around his shoulder, placing his shield around his back.

"Look, I'm no great soldier. I don't have time to debate this with you right now. I'm going to finish the work on the gate, you can do what you want. But, I have to protect these people and the best way I can do that right now is by giving them a place behind these walls to sleep. I can't ask these people to just get up and leave. They need to rest and then they need to be safe." The man's words hit Link, and although he knew they would mean little, he could see their sense. Leern left, shutting the door behind him, but his steps were heavy. The silence that followed was deep and suffocating.

"Malon, where is your father?" Link asked. He knew that Talon, while laid back, was very logical and would listen to reason.

"I-I'm not sure." She gulped with the words. "He was in Kakariko Village finishing up some business. He told me he would meet me in Castle Town just before the ceremony… but…" She began to tremble, looking down at the floor. Link could feel her resolve weakening and he wished he could make everything alright again. He cursed himself for not being able to stop the events that had shattered the land from taking place. All he could do was rest his hand on her shoulder.

They both left the room quietly, attempting to busy themselves with tasks at hand. Link had memories of the ranch, a simple farm house with a livestock area, a barn, and a few stalls to house and feed the animals. What he remembered, though, was not what stood before him. Much had changed, and while the old house had remained relatively untouched, the rest of the land had expanded and been built upon. Simple stalls were now elaborate pens and additions to the barn. Grain silos that towered over a hundred feet in the air stood at the far side, and the barn itself was over double the size to house all the livestock and equipment that was used daily. The fence around the area had always been sturdy, made from solid planks and tree columns, but it was quite a bit thicker and fortified than last he saw it. Link began to realize just how expansion and cooperation had changed everything in Hyrule, and he began to think that Leern was right about defending this place. It was situated on a plateau, meaning a high ground advantage, and the gate truly was the only easy way in or out.

But the sky was dark, like dusk, even though the sun was at its zenith. The spinning castle loomed over head like a pinnacle of doom, and the young hero again knew that Ganon and his minions would purge everything from the world. It was only a matter of time before this place felt the hammer's blow.

The tasks were simple but laborious all the same. Dragging loads of timber to reinforce a weakened part of a fence or moving things around so that the people who had escaped could sleep inside the house began slowly. As he took stock of the people, Link's conscience began to eat at him once more, looking into the faces of women and children; they were all victims and if only he had been more cautious, had he made his was back sooner, he could have prevented it all. He busied himself as best he could, trying occupy his muscles to the point where he could shut out his mind. This was how he passed his time, working on defending what little land and people of Hyrule he could.

The children and women had been moved into the farmhouse and the cellar as it was the best place to hide and easiest to defend for when the inevitable happened. And Link knew that it would. The other two men helped Link and Leern with the defenses, bolstering walls and patching holes. One of them men introduced himself as "Kyler", former minstrel with an affinity joking which everyone appreciated at the moment, even if his attempts were less than successful. The other man was shaken too deeply to speak, his frail frame shook greatly with every moment, but he was able to follow simple instructions, nodding and doing what he was told, albeit slowly.

But Malon was not to be outdone in her own home. She spent hours moving people around, finding accommodations and places for every item. She took some of the younger children around the farm, giving the mothers a much needed and appreciated moment of rest. After the hours began to wane into the late evening she and a few other women began preparing their supplies into a proper meal. The large kitchen and everyone in it worked harder than they had in recent memory. When it was finished, the smell of the food and all its preparations wafted in the air, enticing everyone to partake of them. By the time everyone had been assembled for dinner, the sun had long set but the night sky was a dull red, seemingly always on fire from the destructive obelisk hanging in the sky.

Link had initially declined to eat, still set to finish his tasks at hand. He climbed the silos while everyone went to eat. Skillfully, his hands and feet lifted him up further and further until he had reached the top and over looked all of Hyrule's fields. And despite all his work, his heart still sank when he saw the crater that had once been castle town. The immediate area shimmered in the faint light, the surface still smoldering or turned to glass. His attention turned to a low shadow that moved in the distance which he couldn't be sure of. As his eyes adjusted, he realized that it wasn't a shadow at all, but figures moving all in unison, marching. Numbers in the thousands lurched on from the castle, spilling like insects. What was left of the town was burning to the ground, being purged methodically by the shadows.

And he noticed the directions they began to split into. A large number began to trek towards the large mountains looming in the horizon while the rest began to move towards the forest. A separate number moved west, towards the deserts and mountains and others from that group began to move south towards Lake Hyrule. It became clear to Link all at once. Ganon had started his great offensive. He would strike all the temples at once, and with Rauru dead, the Sage's power was already weakened. And with Hyrule in disarray, it would be all too easy for Ganon's minions to sweep the land clean with little resistance.

"Excuse me, sir?" A voice called him back to the reality around him. The breeze forced his eyes to close and she called again, this time louder but no less sweeter. When the wind subsided, the sour and depressing smell of destruction subsided, he saw Malon standing there at the base of the silo, looking up at him, her eyes shimmering in the night brightly. Leaping down, falling quickly but landing silently, he rose up and met her eyes with his, catching her stunned and in awe.

"Please, call me Link." He said after a moment passed, causing her to blush.

"Oh yes, s-sorry, Link." She could feel the heat in her cheeks, causing her to look away in a bit of embarrassment. Something in her seemed to pull towards him, something familiar, yet she couldn't remember.

"Is something the matter?" He asked quickly, her expression confused him, like something was offsetting her, causing her to be uneasy. He clutched his sword tighter against his back should the need for it arise.

"No, it's just that it's late and everyone else has settled in. Only you and Leern are still awake and I thought you both might like something. I prepared a meal for you in the house." Malon's soft and pale hands fell at her side and she began to lean forward, unable to balance herself all of the sudden. Link caught her softly by the shoulders, dropping the Master Sword and slowly lifting her back to her feet, surprising Malon altogether.

"Are you alright?" The young man's face became covered with concern looking down towards the girl.

"Yes!" She tried to regain her composure, straightening out her garments and pushing her soft red hair out of her face. "I-I don't know what happened."

"You're exhausted, miss Malon. You've been up for who knows how long and ran for your life." The bags under her eyes and gaunt appearance over her face did not diminish her beauty but did reveal just how fatigued she had become.

"I suppose I am. I hadn't realized it, but I haven't had a break in a while."

"Let's head inside. I'm sure the food you've made will taste very good to this empty stomach of mine." Link smiled gently trying to push aside all the bad things that surrounded them for at least a moment, and while she did smile back, it was only a passing moment. Picking up his sword, they both began towards the house which illuminated the surrounding area with its light spilling from the windows and open doors. As they continued, however, Malon's steps became slower and a little more unsteady. Link stopped for a moment and moved his hand towards hers, gently grasping it in his. She too stopped, and for a moment, things stood still and she felt warmth and renewal inside again.

They made their way inside where Leern sat at the simple wooden table and bench eating a stew in-between sharpening wooden poles he was fashioning with a large knife. A place opposite from the behemoth of a man was set for Link, a bowl of stew still hot and steaming and a platter of dark bread waited for him. The Hero of Time sat at his prepared space and began eating as soon as Malon had been seated. Much to his delight, the young man had forgotten how good a hot and carefully crafted meal tasted, having sufficed on whatever he could catch and prepare for years. Even though he had not been overly hungry, as soon as the delicious meats and vegetables were tasted, his stomach urgently called for more.

After both men had finished their meals they began to talk about their current situation as the man, Kyler, awoke from his small rest to stand vigil while everyone else slept.

"The walls are shored up as best we can and the gate is steady. I think we'll be ok for a few days, depending on how supplies last. Did you take stock, ma'am?" The large man finished with his last wooden pike and looked to the tired young woman at the head of the table.

"Please, both just call me Malon. And yes, I did. Our store rooms have quite a few sides of cured beef and meat, and the vegetables from our main field have been stored and set to dry. The grain is low though, only about a third of our first silo is filled. We had shipped a lot of it to Kakariko for the new live stock there. But, honestly we never intended to house this many people at once. With everything here, and rationed out, I think we could eat well for a week, two if we space it out tightly."

"We'll have to send a runner out in search of supplies or help. Are there any horses here that someone could ride?" The gruff man asked, slightly disappointed.

"No. Most of the horses and live stock were shipped out before the ceremony. And when we got here the walls were turned over, most likely from the animals being frightened of the explosion. I can only guess, because the gates were trampled when we arrived. All we have is a wagon which we could pull to carry the wounded and small children, but other than that, we're completely cut off."

"Meaning if we stay here we're trapped." Link said calmly, yet sternly.

"At least we have somewhere and something to eat." Leern's irritation had almost boiled over.

"Look, I know you're trying. And you've done very well to get this far, but staying here won't turn this place into a safe haven, only a tomb. I saw the monsters marching, eventually they will come this way, sooner or later. And when they do, these walls are going to fall like leaves. And even if they don't, what then? Will you simply stay here for two weeks and then starve? Staying here won't solve anything. You'll only doom yourself and everyone else." The blue eyes of the young Hylian met the other man's cold grey stare sternly.

"And what would you suggest, boy? What should we do, if you know so much?"

"They're heading towards Lake Hylia, the Goron City, Kokiri Forest, and the desert of the Gerudo all at once. I say we load up the wagon with as much as we can and head towards Kakariko village."

"The village? That's over a day's ride away from here. Not only that, the way will be slow going with the wounded and small ones. We'll be defenseless if we are caught. And if they are marching upon these four locations, what will stop them from marching on the village next?"

"Look, it's a gamble I admit. But it's a gamble with the possibility of surviving. If we stay here we _will_ die. There at the village, you'll be in the shadow of the mountains and between the Zora's River. It's better defended and for now it's the best way we can survive. And yes, they will eventually try to raze the village. But at least there, we will have a fighting chance."

"I can't risk it, son. I hear what you're saying, I really do. But these people are defenseless as is, they're exhausted, and so am I. We can't risk trekking across the open on a hope that we make it. And as long as Malon offers us sanctuary here at her family's ranch, I say we take advantage of it." Both men turned to look at the girl and much to their surprise, they found her sleeping in her chair upright. Immediately the two lowered their voices. Link slowly moved from his bench and gently placed his arms around the sleeping young woman. Gently, he lifted her up and moved her to a pile of hay in the opposite side of the room to rest. After carefully placing a home sewn quilt over her, Link and Leern moved back to the table quietly.

"Then will you let me try and get help, sir?"

"I can't keep you here if you really want to go, kid. But you know as well I do that you and I are the only ones who can fight. Sure, the others have heart and will do what they can, but I need you here if things get bad. And where will you go? The Gerudo? The Gorons? From what you've told me, they'll soon see things a lot worse than what we did. And the village is so far away, and there's no guarantee that there's even anyone there to help. It's your choice, but if you go, you'll be on your own, and so will we."

The pang of guilt hit Link again. He had left these people to weather the storm once, and now Hyrule was scarred deeply and its people scattered. He looked to the sleeping girl, her face relaxed and her breathing steady because she felt somewhat safe… safe because he was there.

"No, you're right. I can't leave them defenseless. I'll stay and do what I can, but I promise you something Leern. When the hammer falls here, we won't be able to stop it."

As if his words spoke a prophecy, the door burst open, causing the two men two jump to their feet with weapons in hand. It was Kyler, out of breath and shaking. He stuttered, holding a make shift iron bar that he had found the barn, gripping it tightly against his chest. Finally Leern grabbed the man by his shoulders, nearly driving him into the ground with his broad and hardened hands. He steadied him and asked him what was the matter, finally calming he enough to choke out his words.

"They're coming! An armored battalion is riding this way!"


End file.
